


We Are All Demons

by HancockBlocked



Series: We Are All Demons [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Bondage, Dark Character, Dom/sub, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Forced Orgasm, Heavy Angst, I'm Going to Hell, Love Triangles, Master/Slave, Mild Gore, Mind Games, Minor Character Death, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Spanking, Obsessive Behavior, Paranoia, Psychological Torture, Psychological Trauma, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sadism, Self-Destruction, Sexual Abuse, Solitary Confinement, Stockholm Syndrome, Suicidal Thoughts, Threats of Violence, Unconscious Sex, Unhealthy Relationships, Unrequited Hate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-02-24 03:03:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13204449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HancockBlocked/pseuds/HancockBlocked
Summary: When the Railroad gets attacked and taken by the Brotherhood of Steel, Charmer is faced with an impossible decision...save her friends or save herself. With no hope and nothing left to lose, she chooses a fate worse than death.





	1. Chapter 1

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!"

Charmer grabbed Deacon's arm and jerked him back from the walls of HQ as a frag grenade exploded, sending chunks of brick towards them. They both fell forward, shielding their faces from the flying pieces of crimson. Deacon felt a piece strike the back of his head, throwing off his pompadour wig and leaving a bloodied scrape.

"Shit!" He yelled in pain.

Charmer scrambled to stand and pulled him up, running back into the rotunda as more Brotherhood soldiers stalked close behind. They collapsed at the marble table in the center of the room to catch their breath. Charmer rested her head against the slab of stone and let the cool temperature soothe her throbbing skull.

The morning had begun so normally...they were all playing cards and betting on another one of Deacon's stupid games during breakfast. There were over three-hundred caps in the hat for whoever could correctly guess Deacon's height without shoes and Charmer was positive she knew the answer. She was already thinking about what to spend her earnings on when the explosion in the church sent everyone into a frenzy. 

Deacon brought her back to reality with a frustrated growl. "Damn it, we're trapped!"

At that moment Desdemona and Tom came running in from the catacombs with tears streaming down their dirt-coated faces. They ran to  embrace one another with every bit of strength they had left, waiting for whatever was about to come. Charmer buried her face in Tom's chest, not even caring about the way it reeked of oil and and grease. 

Dez cried as she wrapped her arms around Deacon's neck. "She's dead! They killed her!" 

"No...not Glory." 

"They've got us surrounded! We ain't making it out this time!" Tom declared.

The distinct sound of calm footsteps stepping over crumbled brick forced them into silence. Numerous soldiers in power armor had blocked the exits now, miniguns aimed at the remaining agents. One exit, however, was left open and a man in a long coat stepped into the dim light of the caves. His ego dripped with privileged authority, it was clear in the way he carried himself. Charmer studied the smug look on his face...he was proud of all this.

"Who is that?" She whispered to Deacon.

"That's Elder Fucking Maxson."

The man walked up to the frightened Railroad agents, his eyes scanned over all of them. First Deacon, then Dez, then Tom, until they rested on her. A slight smirk appeared on his lips. 

"You."

"M-me?" Her voice squeaked.

"Step forward."

Desdemona did instead, guarding Charmer with her small frame. "I am the leader of the Railroad. You will talk to me."

"I would stand down if I were you. Unless you'd like to be face down in the dirt." 

Charmer audibly swallowed; surely he wouldn't be bluffing when he had already killed so many of them.

She walked out of the protection of the their huddle, letting Deacon and Tom hold back Dez. With great hesitation, she met the intruder's eyes. They were cold and lifeless, he almost looked bored despite being surrounded by corpses and destruction.

"What do you want?" She asked. 

"I want you." 

Before she could react he held up his right hand and snapped his fingers. Immediately, four men in power armor rushed forward, prying apart the agents and handcuffing them while they kicked and screamed in protest. 

"Take them to the vertibird." The Elder commanded.

"Let me go!" Charmer yelled. 

The force of the power armor pulling at her arm made the stitches on her bicep pop open and bleed. She cried out from the pain and bit down on her tongue, already hearing Carrington in her ear, yelling at her for messing up his handiwork. She almost chuckled at that until she cocked her head back and saw his lifeless body on the ground, gunshot wound to the back of his head. She said a silent prayer for him and Glory as she was dragged out into the world with her only friends close behind.

Elder Maxson looked entertained as they were manhandled and thrown into the prewar aircraft as if they were nothing. Charmer met his eyes one last time before blacking out, the pain of her arm taking her into a deep sleep.

*

Charmer felt exhausted sitting in the metal chair with her hands cuffed tight behind her back. Her head bobbed up and down as she drifted in and out of sleep.

How many hours had it been? Four? Twenty? She didn't have a clue.

Her eyes felt heavy and bloodshot, begging for relief. She tried to angle her head to rest comfortably before being jerked back awake when the door to the interrogation room slammed shut.

"Rise and shine." The Elder chuckled as he walked over. He sat across from her with a folder of papers, looking as calm as possible. "You look thirsty. Care for a drink? We have anything you'd like, alcohol, soda, water-" He listed off.

"Yeah, I'd like a nice, tall glass of fuck you." She snapped back.

He smirked. "You've got quite the mouth on you. I like that." 

"Where are my friends?" She ignored him. "What did you do to them?" 

"Here on the Prydwen, talking to my men in other interrogation rooms...they're being rather difficult though, lots of back talk."

"Good." 

"I see where they learned it." His eyes slowly lowered to her arm. "Tsk, that must hurt. Would you like some medicine?"

"Fuck you." She said again. 

"I don't think I've formally introduced myself...I am Arthur Maxson, Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel." There was a beat of silence, she didn't care to respond. "See, now here's the part where you tell me your name." 

"I think you know my answer. Fuck. You." 

He smiled. "Unfortunately for you, I happen to know _exactly_ who you are. The famous vault dweller from the past who helps the Minutemen and saves synths all while looking for a lost child." He threw in a cheerful tone in an attempt to mock her reputation. 

"Well, shit...now I feel bad that I didn't do my homework on you."

He held up the folder in his hand. "I have your paperwork here from Vault 111." 

"How-?" She began.

"Never underestimate my power." He opened it up and flipped through the pages while murmuring to himself. "Ah! Here we go...Ella Elizabeth Scott, brown eyes, brown hair, 130 lbs," he looked up at her "...sound familiar?"

"That isn't me...not anymore. Just what the hell am I doing here anyway? Why didn't you just kill us like the rest?"

"Simple." He leaned back casually. "You've been inside of the Institute. And you're going to tell me what you know."

"And if I don't?" Charmer asked.

"Well, I _was_ going to kill you, but now that I get a good look at you...I think we can come to an agreement." He grinned.

"I would never agree to anything you have to fucking say." 

"Again with the cursing, I have to say it's getting old." He chuckled, knowing that it was actually endearing to him.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." 

"Cute." Arthur leaned forward again. "Here's my proposal: you tell me everything you know about the Institute and in exchange I won't kill your friends. I'll let them go free."

Charmer visibly perked up and sat taller, clearly interested in the offer. "And what about me?"

"You will stay here. Permanently." 

"Here? Why?" 

"To serve me."

"Serve you? You mean like a slave?" She scoffed.

"Slave. Such a callous word. I prefer the term prisoner or captive." He smiled.

"Yeah, fucking right! I refuse." 

He stood up and circled around the room, watching her with intense interest. "Very well, Ella. If that's what you wish then after our interrogation I'll have my men transport you down to whatever location you wish. You'll be free to do whatever you like, however, your friends will die. You understand, loose ends and all that. Can't have you rebuilding your precious Railroad."

"Fuck you, you evil piece of shit!" 

He laughed and ran his hands through his beard. He was amused, this woman was definitely fun to piss off. He watched her think it over, her mind practically ticked. With a beautifully submissive voice she glanced back up at him. 

"...you'll really let them go if I stay?" 

"I swear on the Maxson name. They'll be free and not hunted down."

She nodded slowly, her eyes welling up with tears. Excellent.

"Okay. But I want to say goodbye to them first."

"Good choice." His smile disappeared. "You have five minutes." 

*

"NO!" Tom shouted.

"Yeah, there is no way in HELL that we are going to let that happen." Desdemona scoffed.

"Did you not hear me? He...will...kill...you." Charmer emphasized each word. 

"So, let him kill us! Then you could kill yourself. We'll just have a big, dead party." Deacon panicked. 

"No." She said firmly. "I'm taking the offer."

"Charmer, you don't know what he could do! He could...god, I can't even say it." 

"Deacon, it's going to be okay. I'm going to be okay." She lied.

"I am NOT leaving you here with that asshole!" 

"It isn't your choice! I won't let you all die!"

"She's right." Dez sighed.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Deacon turned to her.

"We can't help synths if we're all dead. At least this way we can rebuild...then maybe we could save her when we get big enough." 

"Over my dead body!" 

Charmer sighed and looked at her distraught friend with compassion, she placed her hand on his cheek and leaned in to give him a quick peck on the lips. "Deacon, I love you." Before he could respond she drew her head back and slammed it into him, knocking him unconscious while Tom grabbed onto his waist to hold him upright. 

Her hand moved to clutch her head in pain before speaking to Dez. "Go. Go now before he wakes up. Find somewhere safe."

"We will and you stay safe." She pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ear. "Be passive, don't give them any reason to mistreat you. We...we love you, Charmer."

A paladin stepped forward in power armor, pulling apart their hug with an aggressive jerk. "Time's up." 

"I promise I'll take care of Deacon." Tom said softly. 

"Thanks." She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Just go now before they change their minds." 

She watched as her friends were taken to a vertibird in handcuffs. As it discharged from the bay Deacon woke up, his nose bled from where she'd hit him. Their eyes met for a moment and she mouthed two words to him as a final goodbye. 

"I'm sorry."


	2. Chapter 2

_"Be passive, don't give them any reason to mistreat you..."_

Desdemona's words echoed in Charmer's head as she was handcuffed and brought to Elder Maxson's private quarters. The asshole soldiers who escorted her tossed her onto the floor as if she were nothing. It was definitely fitting; with just the snap of his fingers Maxson was able to strip her of her freedom and relationships to the people she cherished most...beyond that what made a person a person? Nothing. They were just a shell of who they used to be, a ghost of their former self. Nothing identified them, nothing was what they became. So being thrown onto the floor like a piece of trash? Yeah, that about summed up Charmers' situation. 

As if on cue, the dickhead of the hour walked into the room and hung up his lavish coat. Charmer watched silently as he rotated his head from side to side until the stiffness in his neck lessened. She couldn't help but roll her eyes, it must be exhausting to be such a tyrant. Poor thing.

For whatever reason he made a show of not acknowledging her presence as he walked right past her. She couldn't help but notice he smelled like a mix of leather and privilege as he poured himself a hefty amount of vodka. He drank it quick and refilled it with whiskey, it wasn't until then that he turned to address her. 

"Why are you on the floor?" 

"Your fuckwit guards threw me here." 

He shrugged and looked into his glass haphazardly before swallowing it down. He didn't even seem to care at all that he had won.

And didn't that just piss her off even more?

The glass of whiskey was set down as he stalked over to her with his hand reaching into his pocket. "Would you like me to remove your handcuffs?" He held up a small key.

Charmer nodded so fast that she was sure she resembled one of those bobbleheads that Deacon collected in his spare time.

"Use your words, dearest." 

"I'm not your dearest." 

"Very well, I can give you some other options." He quipped. "How about beloved or sweetheart? Perhaps you'd like to be called pet?" 

"How about you call me nothing." 

"Are you give me orders, Ella?" He chuckled. "I don't think you understand how this works."

"Do not call me that. Ever." 

"Another order? My, my, aren't we entitled?" He smiled briefly before his lips turned into a tight, threatening line. "You will like whatever name I give you, do you understand?"

She gave him a venomous stare. If there was ever a time when she could turn someone into goo just by looking at them, it was now. 

"Tell me you understand, Ella." He repeated. 

"I understand, asshole."

"We can work more on that later. Now, do you want me to remove your handcuffs or not?" 

"Yes."

A smile crossed his face as he bent down to be level with her. "I think you can do better than that."

"You've got to be kidding me." 

"Come on, Ella. Beg." Maxson beamed.

"Please." She spoke through clenched teeth.

"Add that to our list of things to work on." He unlocked the cuffs and examined her wrists, clicking his tongue in disappointment. "You'll be bruised. Shame." 

"What? Don't like your trophies being scuffed up?"

"No, I don't." He pulled her to her feet too fast, catching her as she slammed her head into his shoulder. "And I would watch the sarcasm if I were you. I am not above punishment."

She let out a bitter laugh and threw her head back to glare at him. "I'm already your slave, what more could you possibly do?"

"Believe me...you don't want to find out." He pushed her forcefully so she fell back onto the floor. "There's a bathroom there, go and wash up. You're filthy."

Charmer had never felt more like a child in her whole life then she did walking to that bathroom like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. As soon as she shut the door she cried into her hands.

She had met a lot of evil people in her life...there was her older cousin who tormented her, a college professor who was arrested for human trafficking, and she couldn't forget her third stepmother that tried to send her to a boarding school in Eastern Russia.

But none of them were like Arthur, all of those people were subtly malicious; he was outright about it. They were careful not to be caught but Arthur was damn near proud of his behavior. There was no remorse or shame, it's like he didn't even understand those emotions. 

She walked over to the sink and began scrubbing at her face. The hot water scorched her skin in the most marvelous way while the steam helped loosen the dirt and grime that had been building up for months. It was impossible to find water this hot in the wastes, the closest she ever got was when Tinker Tom built a gas burner out of an old car. It got about lukewarm before blowing up...she still had the scar from the piece of debris that hit her in the side.

She smiled subtly at the memory and shut off the water. She was never going to see them again, was she? The thought had her crying again, forcing her to turn the sink back on and wash again...there was no way she would let him see her so broken. 

*

When she finally exited the bathroom she saw Maxson at the table with two bowls of what appeared to be soup. He sat with another glass of whiskey, full to the rim. 

"Are you hungry?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I've arranged for some food to be sent up. Tomorrow, however, it will be your responsibility to prepare meals."

She sat down across from him and stared into the bowl with hesitation. Carrots, tatos...nothing out of the ordinary. "What's in this?" She asked. 

"Eat. If you refuse then you won't have anything until tomorrow."

It was tempting to starve herself just as an act of defiance but her stomach protested with a loud growl. Part of her also considered that she needed as much strength as possible if she were going to escape. 

Her spoon dipped into the bowl and collected the orange broth, bringing it to her lips slowly. As she closed her mouth around the end she felt the sting of a thousand scorpions. "Jesus!" She spit out the broth. "Why is it so spicy?" She reached for the water beside her and chugged, feeling drips spill out from the corners of her mouth and streaming down her neck. She gasped for air after swallowing, feeling the burning sensation get replaced with an odd, puffy feeling on her tongue. Weird. She peered down into her empty glass to see med-x residue at the bottom.

"What the...hell?" The effects were already kicking in. "You d-rugged me?" 

Arthur smirked and took a leisure sip of his drink. "Just a little something to help you relax. You've had a long day, don't you think?"

"You...fu-fucking assho-" 

She tried to stand as the room began to spin, maybe if she could get to the bathroom she could force herself to throw up. That had to work, right? As she braced herself on the table her vision got darker, everything moving slow. She took one step and immediately fell; eyes growing heavy, too heavy to keep open. She tried to focus but before she knew it, everything went black once again. 

*

Charmer awoke feeling warm and content, her muscles were no longer tense. The room was dark, everything seemed like quiet and peaceful. Too peaceful, in fact.

"Where am I?" She half expected to hear Deacon respond with a smart ass joke but instead, the voice that met her ears made her stomach drop.

"You're safe. In bed." 

It all came back to her...the soup. He made it spicy on purpose so she would drink the water as quickly as possible. Holy shit, even she had to admit that was diabolically genius. She tried to sit up but was stopped by the tight cuffs that locked her in place.

"Why am I handcuffed again?" 

"I can't very well leave you unsupervised while I'm unconscious. It would be too easy to smother me with a pillow or kill yourself for that matter..." 

"Is that why you drugged me?" 

"You needed to rest. And I needed to check you for any weapons." 

"What did you do to me while I was out?" She spoke in an accusatory tone. 

"I didn't touch you if that's what you're getting at. Believe me, I'd like you awake for when that happens." Just as he finished his sentence he moved closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. His face buried itself into her neck and she could feel her skin tingle from his beard. 

"What are you doing? Get off!" 

"This is how I like to sleep."

"Well, I like to sleep alone!" 

"It doesn't matter what you like, does it?" He pulled her possessively. "You are here to serve _me_." 

"I fucking hate you." She hissed out.

"Again, that isn't really relevant. Now, why don't you go back to sleep? I'd hate to drug you again." 

She wanted to stay awake to spite him but just like before, her body betrayed her. Within minutes she was drifting off, stuck in his grasp with no escape. 


	3. Chapter 3

Charmer woke up snuggled in Arthur's arms.

For a brief moment she had forgotten where she was. She thought she was back at HQ cuddling with Deacon like they did when it was especially cold in the church. Some nights she would even pretend to be freezing just so she could feel his arms wrap around her, his body was always so warm and calming, it never failed to make her feel safe and wanted.

She slipped her hand under the thin fabric of his shirt and caressed his stomach, gently rubbing circles in time with the beats of his heart. It was moments like these that she cherished...she couldn't help but be hopelessly in love with him. They were best friends, they spent every second together, and he was there for her when she had found Shaun. Dez would always call them _partners in crime_ but she knew they were more than that, hell, the whole Railroad probably knew. There had been stolen kisses here and there, some harmless flirting; but their friendship was strictly platonic. They wanted it that way...no sex, no mess, as Deacon would say. They were both way too emotionally fucked up to be together, on top of that they were too similar. Two pathological liars with dead spouses and a weird hatred of the color pink. 

The memories of the two of them ranting about the difference between pink and magenta had her smiling. She nuzzled closer to him and planted a soft kiss between his ribs, letting her hand move up and down his torso slowly. He'd always pretend to be asleep during these moments but she always knew he was faking when his breathing sped up. He refused to admit that he craved her touch just as much as she craved his. 

Only something wasn't right...when did Deacon get so bulky? There were firm muscles on his sides, his stomach was sturdy and...abs? When did he get abs? She moved her hand up and froze.

Chest hair. Deacon didn't have chest hair.

Her eyes shot open to see Elder Maxson under her touch, instantly her body all but jumped out of his grasp. The sudden movement stirred him from his slumber, he opened his eyes to see her halfway off the bed with a panicked look.

"What are you doing?" His voice was drowsy and lethargic. 

"I, um...I was just...I have to use the bathroom. It's an emergency. Can you unlock my handcuff?" 

Arthur sighed and sat up. His hair was tousled and messy and his eyes were hardly open. The key sat on a table next to the bed, he reached for it and leaned over, unlocking the chains with a yawn. Charmer's arm fell and she felt the blood rush back down to her fingertips, making her arm go painfully numb. 

"Thanks." She said softly before making her escape to the bathroom. 

The second she shut the door she backed herself against the wall and slid down until her butt hit the floor. Did she really just do that to him? She felt mortified...no worse than that...she felt disgusted. The need to shower to wash off his warmth was overwhelming.

She buried her face into her knees and suppressed the urge to scream, still feeling the way his heart felt beneath her fingertips and the way his stupid, perfect, stupid muscles made her almost swoon. Gross.

She washed her hands twice before going back into the room. She had hoped Arthur would've fallen back asleep but as she opened the door she was met with his piercing blue eyes. 

"Come lay with me." He said while patting the space beside him.

She would rather die than crawl back into bed with him. "Are you sure? I could make you some breakfast. You must be hungry, am I right?" 

"Lay." He said again.

Charmer nervously swallowed and sat back into the bed, internally cursing as she felt Arthur pull her down into the same position they were in before waking up...only this time it was _his_ hands going up and down her body.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked while rubbing her back. 

"I suppose...considering I was chained up." 

"It's only temporary, kitten. Once I know I can trust you then you can sleep without it."

Charmer's brow tensed up. "Kitten?"

"Yes, you look just like one when you sleep. All relaxed and calm...it's a nice change to see you like that. Usually you're more like a stubborn bull."

"You watched me sleep? That's not creepy at all." She drawled. 

"Only for a minute or two. You seemed so peaceful."

She looked up into his eyes and tried to read them. How could he go from gentleman to cad so quickly? He was almost charming, seemingly nice, and overall a refined and intelligent man...so why did he enjoy keeping her prisoner? With enough years of therapy he could possibly be a great guy. She decided to give into her curiosity before losing the nerve. "Can I ask you something?" 

"I suppose." He played with her hair.

"Have you had other slaves before me?"

"Why do you ask?" 

"Just wondering, I guess." 

"And would you be jealous if I did?" 

"No." 

He took a few seconds before answering. "No. You're the first...and the last. I don't intend on ever getting another one."

"But what if I escape? Or die?" 

He smiled lightly. "I would never let that happen." 

"Lucky me." 

"You should be more grateful, Ella." 

"You're joking, right? Why the hell would I be grateful?" 

"It's a great honor to serve the Elder of the Brotherhood."

She scoffed incredulously. "Fuck you. Fuck you and your stupid Brotherhood." 

"I love that mouth of yours, Ella. Maybe soon we can find a good use for it." Arthur rested his hand on her hip.

"Wanna bet? I swear to God if you even try I'll-"

He abruptly moved to position himself on top of her, pinning her arms over her head. She struggled against his strength, her elbows popped as she tried to force them down. 

"Get off, you son of a bitch!" 

"My dear, I think you are forgetting your role here. _You_ are _my_ servant, I don't take orders from you." 

She tried to kick at him but failed, his knees on either side of her legs locked them in place. Her next move was to try to head-butt him but he countered her move with a firm hold on her throat. "You can fight me all you want but it won't change anything, Ella. I own you." He stared down into her eyes with a fiery passion behind them.

"Go to hell." Charmer shot back.

"I love when you talk like that to me but I think you need to be taught a lesson for being so insubordinate." He pulled her arm and yanked her up from the bed, positioning her so that she was laying over his lap. Before she could resist he grabbed the open handcuffs and chained her wrists together, much tighter than the night before.

"Stop it!" She yelled.

Arthur ignored her pleas and slammed his hand down onto her bottom with such brutal force that she lost her breath a little. 

"OW! What the fuck?!" She hissed.

"It's an extra slap for every curse word." He hit her once more.

"AH! Fuck, it hurts!" 

"It's not supposed to feel good." Again, he struck her. "This is punishment for misbehaving." 

"Fuck you! You stupid piece of shit!" 

"You have anything else to say, Ella? Perhaps you'd like to call me a cunt?"

She bit down on her tongue until she tasted blood, her eyes watered as she felt her bottom sting with pain. 

"That's what I thought." Arthur hit her again.

He gave her five more vicious hits before uncuffing her and standing up to grab his coat. Charmer felt defeated. Never before has anyone made her feel so humiliated as Arthur did in that moment. Spanking her like a child...it left her speechless. 

"I have to go to my meetings for the day." Arthur sighed roughly. "I want this room spotless when I return and dinner ready, do you understand? I won't tolerate disrespect anymore, Ella."

"Yes, sir." She said softly, tears brimming in her eyes.

He left the room with a slam of the door. Charmer let out a sigh of relief at his exit and felt her tears spill over.

It really was hopeless, wasn't it?

*

Hours after Arthur left, Charmer stared at the ceiling of his quarters. She went over every single detail that led to her enslavement. Hearing an explosion in the church, seeing Brotherhood soldiers storm into the back entrance with huge guns, smelling the smoke of ammunition and inhaling the clouds of disintegrated brick. Maybe Deacon was right...maybe they should have just killed themselves. It would've been so easy...they could have jumped over the edge of the Prydwen while saying goodbye or provoked the paladins on board and get fired upon. 

Any death would have been better than this. 

Her bottom was still tender and uncomfortable. She wasn't 100% sure but she could almost feel the imprint of Arthur's hand permanently etched into her. There had to be bruises by now, if not then at least some swelling. 

She rolled to lay on her stomach to ease the stinging sensation. As her head hit the pillow she made eye contact with a terminal that sat at the far end of the room. A light bulb went off over her head as she sat up to face it. If there was connection to an outside server then maybe the Castle's radio tower would be in reach. If so, HQ was only a few miles away. Dez would eventually want to return and delete any files left over from P.A.M...if she could send a message to Tom's computer then maybe someone would see it. 

She got up from the bed and eyed the door hesitantly. Maxson would probably be gone for a few more hours...even if he did come in she would hear the door unlock first. That would give her enough time to exit out of his terminal and pretend to do something productive. 

Her palms sweat as she leaned over the keyboard and pushed the power button. The green and black screen listed out a number of passwords, each containing five letters. Damn it...Deacon was always the one who hacked, she just picked locks. How was she supposed to pick the right password out of twenty options? It's like a needle in a technological haystack. 

"Here goes nothing." She whispered to herself. 

S H A R P ...error

J I N K S ...error

W A L T Z ...error

Shit. Only one more chance. If she got locked out then Maxson would know she was messing with his files. Her eyes scanned the remaining passwords carefully, trying to get inside of his demented head. One word caught her eye, standing out from the rest. She took a deep breath and clicked it, heart hammering in her chest. 

 S A R A H ...terminal unlocked. 

"Yes!" She high-fived herself. Deacon would be proud. 

A loading screen appeared with nothing but an inbox, no server connection, no datebase. Just three messages sent from the Prydwen. Damn...there goes her last hope. She read the messages and found nothing but useless politics and petty gossip. She logged out and shut it off, making sure it was exactly as he had left it. As she laid back onto the bed the password popped into her head again. Sarah. Who was Sarah? Why would Arthur have that as a pass code? Her curiosity boiled up in her mind, creating a million more questions about this mystery woman. 

She wasn't jealous...was she? No. She had no reason to be, she hated Arthur and his stupid, smug face. Maybe it was just left over adrenaline. Yeah, that had to be it. She didn't care at all. 

...but if she didn't care, why did it bother her so much?

*

When Arthur got home, dinner was ready, as promised...or threatened. Charmer had grilled up some yao guai and carrots, serving it with cola. She always hated cooking, it took too long and nobody ever appreciated it but at least this way she knew she wouldn't be drugged again.

They sat at the table in silence, her fork played with the food as she got lost in thought. Arthur must have noticed because he reached over the table and grabbed her chin, lifting it so her gaze was on him. "What's going on in that head of yours, Ella?" 

She bit at her lip. She knew better then to mention anything. As much as she hated him she couldn't deny his intelligence; he was smart not only in war but also in charm. She had to keep her wits about her, as Carrington would say.

"Nothing. I'm just tired. Long day, ya know?" 

"You should know better than to lie to me." His thumb grazed her lower lip. "Tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth." 

He chuckled softly. "Do you realize every time you lie you suddenly become more friendly? Is that a trick you picked up in your little Railroad? It's a smart lesson: be amicable to gain a stranger's trust. I, however, am no stranger. Now, I'll give you one more chance. Tell me the truth." 

Charmer sighed. He bested her in the battle of charm...how embarrassing for her. She looked up to study his reaction as she finally asked what was on her mind. "Who's Sarah?" 

Arthur's face turned pale, his hand dropped from her chin as he sat back in his seat, awkwardly pretending that it wasn't a big deal. "Where did you hear that name?" 

"Um, the guards...outside the door. I just heard them mention somebody named Sarah. I wanted to know if it meant anything to you." 

He took a bite of food to occupy his mouth while he thought. "She's nobody." He swallowed. "You shouldn't eavesdrop, you know. It's impolite. That's going to be another habit I have to break." 

"Was she another slave?" She persisted. 

His fork dropped with a loud cling as he looked up at her with intense eyes. "Do not provoke me, Ella. I told you...she's nobody. Now apologize." 

"For what?" She scoffed. 

"For being disrespectful." 

"It's disrespectful to ask questions?" 

"It's disrespectful to eavesdrop and snoop! You are not a spy anymore, do you understand?" 

"No, I don't. I don't understand a single fucking thing!" She stood up. 

"Do I need to punish you again? Is that what you want?" He was borderline shouting, he got up and stalked over to her, backing her against the wall. 

"I want answers!" 

"You aren't entitled to answers!" 

"Screw you! I don't even know who this Sarah person is but I'll bet she's glad to be away from you, you stupid-egotistical bastard!" 

He grabbed her by the fabric of her dress and yanked her hair backward, forcing a cry from her throat. "Apologize." 

Charmer locked eyes with him and saw the rage behind his pupils...underneath that, however, there was a tiny glimmer of sadness. Her breath hitched as she realized that Sarah must've been dead. She could tell from the anguish in his gaze...she'd seen it a million times in her own reflection after losing Nate. "I'm sorry, Arthur." She whispered. 

His mouth closed into a tight line as he released her. Without any anger or resentment in his voice he walked over and picked up his coat, whispering just enough so she could still hear him. "Clean this mess up." 

"Where are you going?" Charmer asked, she couldn't help but feel guilty. 

"I need some air." 


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next month Charmer had discovered the symptoms of being slave. 

For one there was loneliness, that was a given. Hopelessness, anger, and resentment were also heavily present; but there was one other symptom that she didn't expect to experience: complacency. She was almost comfortable with being locked up 24 hours a day. She had gotten used to seeing nobody but Arthur, to sleeping next to him without fighting. Sometimes she would even curl up in his arms to feed her need for touch. Every part of her hated him, yet he was the only constant in her life. That caused fear, another dour symptom. She began to feel helpless, like she wouldn't be able to survive outside of Arthur's room...like she would never be the same if she managed to escape. She would always be haunted, always be damaged...was that even worth living for? Would she be okay with letting her loved ones see how broken she was? She was diseased, and like any terminal illness, the was no cure. You just had to live with it until you died. 

The door suddenly opened, making her heart jump from the noise. Her instincts made her want to hide, even though it would be useless. Paranoia...another lovely side effect of being a slave. When she turned to see why Arthur was back so early she was met with a familiar face instead, one that she had completely forgotten about.

"Hey Danse...long time, no see." 

"...Ella?" The paladin walked into the room with a pile of documents. She almost didn't recognize him without the power armor but she could never forget those puppy-dog eyes of his. It seemed like just yesterday she found him in Cambridge after getting out of the vault, outnumbered by ghouls and on the verge of death. "I was just dropping these off...you...you're Elder Maxson's servant?" 

"I prefer the term slave." 

He shook his head, unwilling to believe she was really sitting there with a chain around her ankle. Charmer followed his gaze and let out a soft chuckle. "Like my new accessory? I know it's a little rusty but it's vintage." 

"Nobody told me...someone should've told me." 

"Would it really have made a difference, Danse? Not like you're gonna let me go." 

"Regardless, I should have been informed!" He exhaled. "When I heard Elder Maxson acquired a servant I thought it was just a civilian, nobody of importance." 

"You think I'm important? That's sweet."

Danse set the files down on Arthur's desk before sitting on the edge of the bed, a few feet from her. His hands nervously ran up and down his legs as he tried to find the right words. "You saved my life once. I know beyond that we're practically strangers but...I never thought I would see you here, in this position." 

"Wow. Was that your attempt at an apology? I mean, it wasn't bad but Jesus, can you add a little effort?"  

He sighed uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, Ella...you're far too special to be anybody's slave." 

"And you're far too nice to be following the orders of someone like Maxson. So why do you do it?" 

He shifted and rubbed the back of his neck, an action Charmer enjoyed. "I know to you it seems like Arthur is a bad person but he really isn't, he's just been through a lot." 

"Danse...please tell me you aren't defending a slave owner to his slave." 

"I'm being serious, Ella. If you knew the things that have happened then maybe you would understand why he is the way he is." 

She looked down at the floor and spoke under her breath. "Sarah...is she the reason why?" 

"Did Arthur tell you about her?" He stood up. 

"No. Who was she? His wife or something?" 

"I shouldn't be discussing this with you."

"Why not?" She huffed. "Why is it such a secret? I mean, Jesus, I'm stuck here living as a prisoner and I don't know a God damn thing about the man who stole my life! It's not fair." 

"I know. I'm sorry." 

She met his gaze and tried to sound as meek as possible. "I saved you once, Danse...don't you think you owe me some sort of explanation as to why Arthur is like this? Don't you think I deserve that?" 

He unconsciously nodded but remained silent. Charmer felt a frustrated tear roll down her cheek as Danse faltered in his decision.  "Look...there are some audio files. They were recorded years ago for history purposes and...other reasons. They're on holotape. Let's say you somehow acquired these tapes, and a holotape player..."

"I won't say a thing. I promise." 

"I could very well be kicked out of the Brotherhood for turning these tapes over to you, do you understand?" 

"Why would I want to get rid of you? You're the only one here who isn't a total asshole."

"Watch it." He warned. "Arthur can never know that you have the tapes...I can't protect you if he finds out." 

"I don't care, I just want answers." 

A noise from outside the room startled the both of them, provoking Danse to stand straight. "I should go...we have a lot of new recruits down at the airport. I'm the one training them." 

Charmer scoffed lightly. "I thought the great Brotherhood of Steel didn't accept wastelanders...at least that's what you told me." 

"We can't afford to be picky with the battle against the Institute approaching...and to be fair, if I had any clue how accomplished you'd be I would've recommended you to become a knight on the spot." He shifted awkwardly. "Maybe if I let you join back then you wouldn't be here now." 

"There's no reason to feel guilty...we can't change whats already happened." 

"No. We can't." He sighed and walked back to the door, looking over his shoulder once. "I'll bring you some lunch tomorrow afternoon. The tapes will be under the plate. Make sure you return them there after you're done." 

"Deal." 

*

Charmer sat at the table half bored to death, drawing circles on the steel table with her index finger and mindlessly thinking about one of Tom's conspiracy theories. He claimed to find proof of tiny robots living inside boxes of Sugar Bombs, supposedly they can control your mind by interrupting your brain's beta waves or...something like that. It was hard to keep up with him when he rambled on sometimes. Still, it wasn't  _that_ crazy the more she considered it, maybe some scientist freak wanted to control the entire population and force them to relinquish all the Sugar Bombs left on Earth and...okay, maybe it was crazy.

The door to the room suddenly slammed shut, causing her to jump for the second time in one day.

Doesn't anyone knock anymore? Manners are dead. 

"Get in the bed. Now." Arthur stood by the shut door with crossed arms and a 'don't even try fucking with me' look. Ella looked over to the clock nervously. He was back early; he never came back early.

"It's only three o' clock." She stammered.  

"I'm aware."

"And you want to go to sleep?" 

"I never said anything about sleep. Now get in the bed." 

"But-" 

"Ella. Bed. Now!" He raised his voice.

Charmer stood up fast and frightful, moving to the bed quickly like he had asked. She watched anxiously as he hung his coat, then as he removed the black jumpsuit he wore underneath. Her nails dug into her palm as she teetered back and forth in a pathetic attempt to calm herself down.

He moved over to the bed with nothing but underwear on, pulling out a cigarette with his eyes glued on her the whole time. He held up an old lighter and handed it to her, gesturing to the end of the butt. She swallowed and flicked the lighter, holding the flame steady while he took in a long, dragged out puff. The ease at which he did it gave Charmer the impression that he was no stranger to chain smoking. 

Arthur exhaled slowly and turned the cigarette over to her. 

"No thanks." 

"Did I ask?" 

She eyed the filter where his lips had touched, in her head she replayed her mother telling her a million times to never smoke...cancer kills, and all that. "Arthur," she said quietly "...I don't...I've never-" 

"Open your mouth." He whispered. "Just a little." 

She obeyed, slowly letting her jaw drop until he was satisfied. She held in panicked breaths as she watched Arthur gently place the cigarette between her lips. 

"Inhale. Not too much, just enough so you can taste the smoke on your tongue." 

She nodded and took in a small, anxious breath. The tobacco tasted stale, almost acidic as she let it roll around her mouth. Arthur took the cigarette out and leaned in close, placing his hand behind her neck. "Don't exhale yet, I want you to really taste it." 

She fought the urge to cough and let the vapor penetrate into her skull, her eyes stayed locked on Arthur's until he moved in and rested his forehead against hers with patient ease. "Okay. Let go." 

As she gradually released the smoke from her mouth Arthur pressed his lips against hers, soaking in the flavor of the tobacco while rolling his tongue against her own. Ella felt her breath hitch, her heart raced with the new sensation and she couldn't stop herself from melting into his touch. His rough facial hair tickled her face, the warmth and wetness of his mouth excited her in ways she didn't know possible. Before she knew it, she was leaning back onto the bed while Arthur hovered over her; his hands moving up and down her sides and underneath the thin fabric of her shirt. The spell abruptly broke when he moved them over her bra, squeezing lightly as he ground his erection into her pelvis. 

"W-wait!" She stopped. "I don't want to do this." 

He left kisses trailing down her cheek as she protested, his hands still grabbing at her chest. His fingers slipped underneath the padding and grazed her nipple, forcing a surprised squeal out of her mouth. 

"Arthur, I-...I'm on my period." She lied.

He let out a soft chuckle and went further down to ravish her neck. "Doesn't bother me, kitten." 

"Well, it bothers me." She trembled. "I'm just...I'm insecure, I don't feel good and my head hurts!" She was listing off as many excuses as possible. 

Arthur looked up and searched her eyes briefly before cracking a smirk. "You know for a spy, you really suck at lying." He leaned down and captured her lips again in a quick but rough kiss. "Fine. I'll give you a pass for tonight. Next time, however, I may not be as generous." Without a response he got up from the bed, disappearing into the bathroom with a locked door.

Charmer sat up and hugged her knees, she could only imagine what he was doing behind that closed door. The thought of him touching himself while thinking of her made her stomach tense up. If she wasn't so frozen in fear she would've gotten up to empty it in the nearest trash can.

Crying into her palms, however, was a decent substitute. 


	5. Chapter 5

Charmer stared at the tray of food Danse had left outside the door. Her heart raced as she thought of all the possibilities that could be underneath the plate. What if he changed his mind? What if under the ceramic there was just a note that said 'fuck you'? It's not like she would be surprised...as nice and caring as Danse seemed, he was still Brotherhood and Deacon always told her to never trust them, no matter how charming they seemed. She held tight to those words as she brought the tray of food to the table, sitting across from it with shaky hesitation. She opened up the lid slowly to see a bowl of soup sitting atop a large plate. Her hand hovered for a few seconds, relishing in the beauty of ignorance for a few moments longer. Once she listened to the tapes, there was no going back. Why was she so nervous? It didn't change anything...she was still a slave. It wasn't like these tapes would somehow set her free. At the end of the day Arthur was still an asshole tyrant and nothing could change that...right?

"Here goes nothing." She sighed quietly and lifted the plate, setting it aside on the table. Under it, just as promised, was an old tape player and two dusty holotapes. One was labeled 'C204ZH2' and the other was 'K1265M1' it must've been some way to file them but she didn't know which to listen to first. As she inspected the orange and white tapes she noticed one was more faded and used, indicating that it was older than the other one. She took a deep breath before sliding it into the player and rewinding it to the beginning. When it clicked on she heard a strangers voice.

" _This is Head Scribe Reginald Rothchild, recording September 7th, 2277 at 11:04 am. Please state your rank, name, and age for the record."_

_"Sentinel Sarah Lyons, age 26."_

Ella hit pause and soaked in the voice of the mystery woman. It was smooth, almost methodical but very lively and warm. The rank didn't sound familiar, though she wasn't savvy on the details of military hierarchy. And her age...even back in 2277 she was older than both Arthur and herself. It was interesting, to say the least. She hit play again. 

_"The purpose of this recording is to discuss the current mental and emotional well-being of the newest addition to the Brotherhood of Steel, Squire Maxson. The boy has been placed in your fathers care, tell me how that's going."_

_"It's good."_ She sounded hopeful.  _"Arthur is starting to open up, they seem to bond really well. Kinda makes me think my dad wished he had a son instead."_

_"Don't say that. Owen...I mean, your father loves you dearly. You're his prized possession."_

_"I'm nobody's possession, first of all."_ She chuckled.  _"And I just think he is growing to love Arthur as one of his own, that's all I meant."_

 _"If you say so."_ The man sighed. _"Has the boy had any outbursts or violent tendencies?"_

_"No. He's a good kid, Rothchild. Why would you even ask me something like that?"_

_"It's not out of the realm of possibilities. The boy was separated from his mother only six months ago, it was just yesterday that he heard about her death. Tell me, who gave him the news?"_

_"I did."_

_"And what was he response? Did he react poorly?"_

_"What do you think? He was heartbroken...he couldn't stop crying, I held him for hours in my arms until he finally fell asleep."_

_"Where?"_

_"His bed. Who cares?"_

_"Doesn't that seem inappropriate, Sentinel?"_

_"It's not like he's a teenager. We just laid together and I sang him a few songs to calm him down."_

_"Interesting...and did you tell him how she died?"_

_"I told him she was sick."_

_"So, you lied to him? Sarah..."_

_"What was I supposed to do? Tell him the truth? That she was murdered after being tortured for days on end? That those sick Legion bastards nailed her to a cross? He's ten years old, Reg!"_

_"He's going to find out someday. It's in the records."_

_"I know he will. But at least when he does he'll be old enough to understand why I lied. I did it to protect him."_

_"He's a Maxson, he doesn't need protecting."_

_"He's a child, he needs all the protecting he can get!"_

The sound of a chair scrapping indicated that she stood up, probably to pace away her frustration. 

_"Would you sit back down? We aren't finished."_

_"No. I am so sick of everyone treating him like a soldier! It's ridiculous! He deserves a childhood!"_

_"He isn't an ordinary boy and you know that. He has the blood of a legendary soldier."_

_"He can't even hold a gun properly, all you're doing is putting pressure on him to be something he's not!"_

_"Alright, alright...just calm down. Let's take a break; then we can move on to discuss this lone wanderer the radio seems to keep talking about."_

_"Fine."_ She scoffed. 

_"This is Head Scribe Regi- Sarah! Wait, you can't just leave! I haven't finished the recording!"_

The tape stopped, leaving Charmer with more questions than answers. She had originally thought Sarah was Arthur's girlfriend or something but she was like...a sister? That didn't make any sense. Why would he be so painfully distraught over her death nearly five years later? She had to know more. She blew a thin layer of dust off the next tape and practically shoved it into the player. It loaded for a few agonizingly long seconds until a new voice come through the speaker. This time it was clear and easy to make out. 

_"This is Senior-Scribe Gregory Quinlan, recording April 18th, 2283 at 22:34 pm. Please state your rank, name, and age for the record."_

A vaguely familiar voice met Charmer's ears. _"You already know my name."_

_"It's for the record, Arthur."_

There was an audible sigh. _"Knight Arthur Alexander Maxson."_

_"And age."_

_"Sixteen."_ He growled out.

_"Very good. Now, tell me about the events that occurred earlier today."_

_"Why? You already know what happened. Talking about it over and over again won't change anything..."_

_"It's for the records, Knight. Just answer the questions. What happened today?"_

_"Sarah-"_ There was a long pause. _"...died."_

Ella felt grief in her chest. The pain in Arthur's voice was poignant. 

_"That is Elder Lyons, for the record. And would you care to go over the details once again? For the record, of course."_

_"It doesn't matter, don't you get it? She's gone and nothing I can say will bring her back."_

_"I know this isn't easy but an investigation must be done. You were the last one to see her alive so please, tell me what happened."_

_"We went on a combat run."_

_"Where?"_

_"Southwest."_

_"I need to know exactly where, Arthur."_

_"The Outcast Outpost, alright?"_

_"Why on earth were you two going there?"_

_"I don't know...it was her idea. We didn't even make it that far...we were attacked."_

_"Where?"_

_"Around the Falls Church."_

_"That's very close...who attacked you?"_

_"Super mutants. A lot of them. I think it was an ambush, Shepard probably planned it."_ His voice broke slightly.  _"One of them had a missile launcher and it-it caught us off guard."_

 _"It's okay...just take your time_. _"_

There were a few seconds of silence followed by muffled cries.  _"_ _A car exploded,"_  he continued _" -Sarah was trapped underneath...her stomach was...open. I-I could see inside of her."_

_"Did you attempt to save her?"_

_"I used eight stimpacks but it wasn't working, the bleeding wouldn't stop..."_

_"Why didn't you bring her back here? Cade could have-"_

_"Are you deaf?"_ He raised his voice. _"She was almost torn in half! I couldn't even move the debris that hit her!"_

_"But you did try to move it, yes?"_

_"She was being crushed! Of course I tried, why wouldn't I?"_

_"I don't know, Arthur...why wouldn't you?"_ His voice had an accusatory tone woven between his words. Arthur must have picked up on it, he let out a shocked breath.

_"Wh...what are you trying to imply?...You-you think I killed her?"_

_"Of course not. Elder Lyons was an exemplary soldier, the best I've ever seen. There is no way that you could out match her in a gunfight...however, let's say that she was trapped under the car. Perhaps you didn't find it necessary to save her."_

_"How could you say that? Sarah is my best friend, she's has been there for me since I was a kid!"_

_"Yes, I understand that she helped raise you. However, many witnesses saw you and her arguing in the courtyard less than an hour before her death. Care to explain?"_

_"I was upset with her. I'm allowed to be upset, aren't I?"_

_"Yes, but most people wouldn't confront the Elder directly."_

_"She isn't the Elder to me! She's more than that!"_

_"Can you elaborate?"_

_"No. I...nevermind. Look, I have nothing to hide. Yes, we argued but it wasn't serious."_

_"_ T _hen you won't mind telling me about it."_

 _"It's irrelevant, though, our_ _fight had nothing to do with the attack."_

_"I'll be the judge of that. Now please, stop stalling."_

Arthur paused again, clearly uncomfortable. " _I...told her something earlier in the day and she didn't take it as I thought she would. I got mad and wanted some answers so I confronted her about it."_

_"In front of many witnesses."_

_"I didn't care who saw, I just wanted to talk to her. If I had something to hide then wouldn't I have argued with her in private?"_

There was a halt in the conversation. One of them tapped their foot, it was echoed into the recorder, building the suspension even more.

_"I'm going to have to ask for the record, Arthur. Did you or did you not purposely let Elder Lyons die?"_

_"Are...are you serious?"_

_"Answer the question."_

_"No! Why would I do that?"_

_"Some would say you did it to become the next Elder."_

_"_ _That's insane! I don't care about being Elder, everyone else does! All you idiots think a Maxson in charge is somehow going to make things better but it doesn't matter! The only people fit to run the Brotherhood were Sarah and her dad and they died! I can't take their places."_

_"But you are aware that sometime in your life you would be promoted to Elder? As the last Maxson, it's practically your birth right. Maybe you wanted to speed that process along by getting rid of Elder Lyons."_

_"I would never do that! Ever!"_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because I loved her!"_ He shouted. _"I always have! I told her all the time, she knew how much I cared about her! Why would I kill someone who I loved?"_

 There was an incredibly long pause this time, Ella checked to see if the tape was still working after two minutes of nothing but silence. 

 _"Did you tell her that_ _morning?"_ Quinlan continued. 

 _"Yes..."_ Arthursighed weakly.

_"And how did she respond?"_

_"Like she always did...she just brushed me off. Told me I was too young, that I was like family to her."_

_"Is that why you confronted her in the courtyard?"_

_"I just wanted her to take me seriously, I'm not a kid anymore. I...I asked her to marry me."_

_"And what did she say?"_

_"She wanted to get out of the Citadel, just me and her. She said we could do a combat run like old times and talk about it. She said the Outpost was a safe place to be alone so we left."_

_"And that's when you ran into the ambush?"_

_"...she didn't even get to tell me her answer."_ He sounded shattered. 

_"Were you there when she passed?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Why didn't you come back for help? The church isn't too far, someone could have-"_

_"You don't understand! She was scared, she asked me to hold her, I-I couldn't just leave her there!"_

_"So, you held her instead of getting proper help? That sounds a lot like negligence."_

_"I was trying to help her calm down, she was in pain."_

_"Did she say anything before passing? Anything important?"_

 Silence. 

_"What were her last words, Arthur?"_

_"I'm not telling you. Those words were just for me."_

_"I need to know for the record."_

_"I don't care about the record. I care about Sarah."_

_"We all care about Sa...Elder Lyons. Future generations will want to know her last words."_

_"I already told you. They were meant for me."_

_"Very well...I won't pry any further."_ He cleared his throat. _"After careful examination of this case, I'm declaring that you, Knight Arthur Alexander Maxson, are not responsible for the death of Elder Sarah Lyons. That being said, I believe there were steps you could have taken to save her but I do not think you maliciously avoided them...it was just an error in judgement. We can chalk that up to your age and inexperience."_

_"If I left her to go and get help she would have died alone. I don't care what anyone says...I did the right thing by staying by her until she was gone."_

_"Let's hope that future generations will come to the same conclusion...t_ _his is Senior-Scribe Gregory Quinlan, signing off at 22:58."_

The recording shut off, leaving Ella stuck with sympathy for the man who held her slave. He really loved her...and nobody believed him. They all just spoke to him like he was a kid with nothing of value but his last name. It tore deep into her heart, all she wanted to do was cry for sixteen-year-old Arthur...but he didn't exist anymore. Somewhere from there to now, he had morphed into something more sinister and despondent. And who could blame him? Ella certainly couldn't, she lost Nate and it nearly killed her...would she be able to handle the guilt if she had been the one responsible for his death? All of a sudden she was unsure about everything, including Arthur. 

*

When Arthur finally returned back to the room for the night, Ella ran into his arms before he could even shut the door. He let out a surprised grunt as his hand flew to her lower back, keeping her from knocking the both of them to the floor. "Ella?...What are you doing?"

"I...I'm sorry. I just missed you, I guess."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?"

She broke the hug and stared up at him; he watched back with puzzled eyes. She wanted so badly to tell him that it wasn't his fault, that Sarah would be proud of him...but she couldn't very well lie right to his face, could she? 

"Did something happen while I was gone?" He asked. 

"No. I...I was just lonely, ya know? I needed someone to talk to." 

He pulled away from her to hang his coat before walking over to pour a glass of whiskey. "Okay then...let's talk." 

Shit.

"Um...well, it's not really that important anymore. I'm sure you have other things to worry about." 

"No, no, I insist; tell me what's on your mind." 

She frantically looked around the room for a topic of conversation when her eyes rested on a faded pink towel sitting in the corner. "What are your thoughts on magenta?" 

"Magenta?"

"You know, the color. Would you saw it's a shade of pink or a shade of purple?" 

He swallowed down the rest of his drink fast. "How is this relevant, Ella?" 

"...It's important to me." 

He looked at her like she was insane, maybe she was. "I suppose I would say it's a shade of purple." 

"Oh my God, that's so wrong." She rolled her eyes. "It's fucking pink. Why does nobody see that?" She could almost hear Deacon laughing in the back of her head for losing the great magenta debate yet again. 

"I don't really care, Ella. It's just a color." He shifted aimlessly. "If it's my turn now, I'd like to discuss something with you." 

"Oh no."

"It's nothing bad. It's actually a reward, so to speak. One of my proctors needs help gathering information on the Commonwealth before the war. I thought given your history you would be willing to help."

"Help how?"

"Meet with him, answer his questions. It'll all be on record."

"Wait...meet with him? So, I can leave the room?"

Arthur nodded. "You've proven yourself so far, I'm willing to extend your privileges as a show of good faith. You'll be allowed on the top floors only, however, that's access to the medical bay, cafeteria, and Protcor Quinlan's office."

"Proctor...Quinlan?" 

"Yes, he's in charge over collecting useful data."

She scoffed. "I'm sure he is." 

"What was that, Ella?" 

"Nothing. Thank you...for letting me leave the room. I won't misbehave, I promise."

"You've earned my trust. Just don't abuse it, otherwise you'll be back in here. Understood?"

"I understand." Ella nodded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Arthur! He needs a hug and a warm blanket! <3 
> 
> Seriously though, this chapter was very critical in explaining why he is the way he is, he was blamed by many for Sarah's death and it fucked him up to lose her like that. Damn, this was good to write though, I love exposition!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***WARNING***  
> From here on out the story is going to have non-con elements, including rape. There will also be elements of depression, suicidal thoughts, domestic abuse, and overall just some really dark shit. If you are at all sensitive to any of that stuff I suggest you read with extreme caution or not read at all. This is the only time I will be warning you ahead of time so keep this in mind as you continue to read future chapters! The story is about half way over and this is just the tip of the fucked up iceberg. Proceed with caution and please don't be mad at me.

"Let's talk about the day the bombs fell."

Proctor Quinlan's voice echoed inside the walls of his office as his pencil tapped lightly on the clipboard he held. Charmer looked down at the holotape that was recording their conversation; was this how Arthur felt when being interrogated? Trapped. Maybe even a little unsafe? Her eyes shifted to the older man speaking, he was the exact same as he was on the tapes from five years ago...harsh and uncaring. Charmer knew he didn't give a damn about her past, all he cared about was his precious data. He probably jerks himself off at nights thinking of all the research he has left to discover. The thought made her smirk.

"Is something funny, Miss Scott?" 

"Yeah, it's pretty hilarious actually." 

"Please, share." 

"You want to know what life was like before the bombs so badly that your willing to listen to someone who hates you. I can tell you anything and I bet you'd believe it...makes me wonder why you never bothered to just ask a ghoul. Lemme guess...too afwaid?" She mocked him with a bratty pout.

"Ella," Danse spoke up from the corner of the room "...Elder Maxson has given you the privilege of helping Proctor Quinlan with his research. If you refuse to answer his questions then I will have to tell him that you're being uncooperative."

Charmer gave him a glare before focusing back on the asshole of the hour. "Fine. What do you want to know?" 

"Let's start with when your day began. Tell me how you found out."

"There was a broadcast on television."

"And what were you doing when it came on?" He scribbled down notes.

"I was with my family. What's it matter?"

"Ella." Danse warned again.

She sighed heavily and rubbed her brow. She never would have agreed to this if she knew that she would have to discuss Nate. The last thing she needed was her sad life story cataloged in the Brotherhood archives for the rest of eternity. "We were talking about our plans for Halloween." She kept it vague. 

"Interesting...and then the television turned on?"

"No. It was already on in the living room. Our Mr. Handy was watching it when the alert came on. He called us into the room and we watched together."

"And what did it say?"

Charmer looked down at her hands as if the answer to all his questions were written there. Since waking up from the vault she had never talked about it, not even with Deacon; and now she was telling her story to some dick-hole-egghead for data purposes. It wasn't right. "I don't really remember." She whispered.

"Try to." The man persisted, just like he did with Arthur.

"Something about confirmed reports of nuclear detonation around the country...it happened so fast, I wasn't really paying attention."

"I understand. What happened next?"

"We ran. My husband held our baby and we ran to the vault up the street. People were standing around screaming, crying...hugging." She swallowed. "It was a nightmare. Then we got to the vault platform that took us underground and..." She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force herself to remember the grim details. "There was a loud bang. Like...really, loud. Then there was a cloud of smoke, it was huge and orange, so bright that I thought I might go blind...then everything slowed down. People were praying, some were running...and it got really hot. It felt like the sun was falling from the sky. Then the platform started moving and as the smoke washed over us it became hard to breathe. Then the panels closed and took us down into the vault. I could still hear screams from above ground, even after we stepped off the elevator." She slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see the sympathetic faces of Danse and Quinlan and he promptly handed her a tissue. She hadn't even realized that there were tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Would you like to take a break?" Quinlan asked.

Charmer nodded and dried her cheeks. The holotape recording was paused and the proctor stood up, excusing himself from the room. In his absence Charmer could feel Danse's eyes examining her. She glanced up to him to check...yep, he was blatantly staring at her.

"What?" She asked the paladin.

"Nothing...I just...that must have been very traumatizing to experience."

"Well, it wasn't delightful that's for sure." She sighed, letting the silence between them build up until she couldn't stand it anymore. "Hey, about those tapes..."

"Yeah?"

"What was she like? Sarah. I mean, why was Arthur so in love with her? Wasn't she like fifteen years older than him?"

"Sixteen years. And...she was an extraordinary woman. Smart, headstrong...she saw the world not for what it was but what it could be. She valued order and peace above everything else. In a lot of ways, she was like you. Beautiful and determined...and like you, she would have accomplished great things if fate had given her the chance." 

Ella found herself smiling at the description. She sounded wonderful...it made her think of how Arthur might have turned out if she were alive today. 

"Do you think he did it?" She asked quietly. 

"What?" 

"Arthur...do you think he let her die?" 

"Elder Maxson has been cleared of all suspicion. You heard the record." 

"...you didn't answer my question, Danse." 

He faltered in his stance, dropping his shoulders with expostulation. "I believe he loved her. I believe he was devastated by her death. It's just...he was so close to base. He could've run back for help within five minutes but instead he stayed there while she bled out. He knew better, hell, Sarah had taught him better. Any other soldier would have gotten proper help but Arthur didn't...it just makes me wonder why." 

"So, you think he did it?" 

"I never said that. All I know is that when Arthur came back with Sarah's blood all over him, he wasn't the same person. It was like a part of him died out there with her." 

The door unexpectedly opened and brought their conversation to a halt. Quinlan walked in with a tired brow, not caring that he interrupted the two. 

"I think that's going to be all for the day. That scientist, Li just arrived and Elder Maxson wants me to question her."

"What?" Charmer stood up. "You mean Doctor Li? She's here?" 

The two men ignored her and continued speaking.

"Take her back to the Elder's quarters. Then join me in the interrogation room."

Danse nodded and grabbed Ella's wrists, handcuffing her before she could protest. As they walked through the hallway her eyes searched for the Institute scientist. "Wait, I have to see her! Please, Danse, can I see her?" 

"Mouth shut, eyes forward." He pushed her along.

He brought her back to the room and unlocked her, giving her one last sympathetic frown before shutting the door. Ella kicked the wall in frustration before anxiously pacing. Her thoughts ran wild about Doctor Li, it hadn't been that long since she'd last seen her in the Institute, maybe over two months but it felt like ages. She could hardly remember the lines of her face or the sharp edge to her voice. The memories of their late-night conversations were pushed out and replaced with lectures from Arthur, the comforting feeling of her warm office was interchanged with the bite of the cold in her new prison. 

Why was she here...had the Institute been destroyed? Was Shaun okay? Nothing was calming her mind.

*

When Arthur finally walked into the room she ran up to him like an eager dog greeting its owner.

His brow furrowed as he hung up his coat. "Please don't tell me you want to discuss shades of purple again." 

"I need to see her!" Ella blurted out, following it up with "...and magenta is pink." 

"What are you talking about? See who?" 

"Doctor Li, I heard Quinlan say she's here!"

He rolled his eyes while walking over to the table of liquor, his hands instinctively poured whiskey without the need for him to look. "We've talked about eavesdropping before, Ella. It's impolite." He took a swig. "And even if she was here, which I am not confirming, why would I let you see her?"

"She's an acquaintance, more than that! She's practically a friend!" 

"Practically?"

"Who cares about the specifics of it all? I just need to see to her." 

"No. There's no reason." 

Ella let out a disheartened grunt and gave him an irritated shove. "She knows if my son is safe or not! If she's here then that means something could be wrong with him and as a mother I deserve the right to know! Please, Arthur, just let me see her so I can know my child is okay!" 

Arthur finished his drink in one more swallow, he didn't even seem bothered by the burn. "While I appreciate your maternal desideratum, I cannot allow you to-"

"Ugh! You're impossible!" She shouted. "I can't even understand you half the time!" 

He chuckled and moved closer, tucking a defiant strand of hair behind her ear. "You really want to see her, don't you?" He asked softly. 

"Yes...please, I'm begging you. Do you have any idea how humiliating this is for me?" 

Arthur smirked. He could see the desperation in her eyes. "You don't look like you're begging. Maybe you could be a little more convincing." 

"Oh, come on..." 

"You want to see her? Get on your knees and beg." 

Charmer swallowed and slowly bent down, getting onto the floor; her fingers interlocked into a pleading gesture. "Please let me see her."

"No, that won't do...I want you to beg."

"Pretty please?"

"You can do better than that." He chuckled.

She gritted her teeth, trying to keep her composure. "Please, Elder Maxson. Let me see her. I'll do anything. Just...please."

Arthur leisurely leaned against the wall, wishing for more effort from her. "I suppose you could visit with her...If you do something for me." He grinned darkly.

Charmer felt her stomach sink as he walked closer, his body was only a few inches away when she fell backwards onto her ass and stared up at him with large pupils. His hands reached for the buckle on his uniform slowly, as if giving her a tease.

"Make me cum."

"Excuse me?" 

"You heard me. Make me cum and I'll let you see Doctor Li."   

She scoffed incredulously. "You manipulative piece of-" 

"How about we hold back the cursing and put that mouth to better use?" He pulled his jumpsuit down around his hips, exposing the bulge in his underwear. 

"You can't be serious." Ella's voice cracked. 

"I assure you that I am. I've been thinking about fucking that pretty little mouth of yours for awhile now." 

She watched in stunned silence as Arthur pulled himself from his briefs. 

"Fuck." Her voice was full of fear. 

"I'm glad you're impressed. Now get to it." 

She slowly wrapped her fingers around the base, feeling how heavy he was despite only being half hard. She nervously swallowed and gave a test stroke before letting go. "I...I really don't want to do this." 

"I'm not forcing you, Ella. But if you want to see Doctor Li, you have to earn it." 

Her eyes closed as she stroked him again, this time bringing her lips closer. 

"And no biting, otherwise I'll have to bite back." Arthur added. 

Ella could only roll her eyes inside of her own skull. 

Her tongue wet her lips before hesitantly dragging itself up the base of his cock and swirling around the tip. The head was swollen and dark, begging for more stimulation; she swallowed down the rest of her shame and wrapped her lips over it, giving a firm suck. Arthur 'mmm'd ever so softly and let his hand reach down to tangle in her hair; without warning he pushed himself deeper inside of her mouth, groaning low. Ella choked around his length, letting out panicked puffs of air.

"Breathe through your nose." He encouraged her. "Good. Now relax your throat, if you tense up it'll only hurt more."

She struggled to stay calm as she let her mouth go limp, Arthur took advantage and brought her down further onto his cock, easing it down her throat. Her eyes began to water as her nose hit his pubes, she let out a series of struggled whimpers and broken pleas only for him to quietly shush her. 

"Just relax, remember to breathe."

She tried to listen and took uneven breaths, looking up to meet his gaze. 

"Good girl. Now swallow around my cock."

She obeyed carefully and watched as his head lolled back. "Fuck..." He whispered. "That feels amazing." Without proper warning he pulled himself out and thrust back into her mouth, just barely missing her gag reflex. She didn't have time to scream before he did it again, forcefully guiding her up and down his length. Spit fell from her chin and hit the floor as he pushed himself deeper, she could feel her jaw becoming unhinged at the quick motions. 

"I'm going to cum in your mouth, Ella. I don't want you to swallow right away, I want you to taste it, just like with the cigarette." He grunted. 

She let out a muffled protest but it was no use; he pulled his cock from her mouth to give himself long strokes, his hand still tangled in her hair. "Open your mouth."

Charmer shook her head, scared that if she spoke nothing but sobs would come out.

"You want to see Doctor Li, don't you? Then open up."

Shamefully, she obeyed and let her tongue hang out while Arthur shot his seed into her mouth, some of it hit her cheeks in the process. She could feel her bones jolt as he used the tip of his softening shaft to slide his cum up and down her tongue, groaning at the intoxicating sensation. "Fuck, you look good on your knees, Ella. I ought to have you do this more often." 

She thought about saying something snide but that part of her was somehow tarnished. How could she crack a joke when she _was_ a joke? How would she be able to insult Arthur when his cum covered her face? He stole something from her she didn't think possible...he stole her identity. 

"Okay. Swallow." 

She didn't want to but she knew that if she spat it out he would refuse to let her see Madison and she didn't just do all of that for nothing...she tried to swallow it all at once, gagging as she felt it stick to the sides of her throat. Arthur walked to the bar and poured her a glass of water, helping her to her feet as she chugged it down.

He pulled her into his arms while his fingers rubbed idly at her chin. She couldn't shake his gaze, he seemed intent on staring into her umber-colored eyes.

"I could make you cum if you'd like, Ella. I'm very skilled with my own mouth...does that sound like something you'd like? It's only fair." 

"No."

"Your eyes say otherwise." He smiled softly. "I bet you're already wet from sucking me off. It wouldn't take long to push you over the edge. Mmm...I bet you taste incredible." He left a trail of kisses down her neck. 

"I said no." Charmer pushed him back to no avail. 

He smiled and released her to pour himself a glass of vodka, seemingly unbothered by her rejection. "Well, a deal is a deal...you can have three minutes with Doctor Li."

"Are you fucking kidding me? I did all that for three minutes?!"

"You should be grateful I'm letting you see her at all, I can't imagine what you two would even discuss."

She tried to shove past him to escape inside the bathroom but his hand yanked her back. He forced a rough kiss onto her mouth, calmly moaning as he nipped at her lower lip. "I'll have someone escort you down to the bay." 


	7. Chapter 7

Danse stood outside as Ella walked into the emptiness of the Prydwen's interrogation room. It was the very same one where she was held after the attack; the same one where Arthur made her choose between her life or her loved ones. It was in these four walls where a piece of her died. She trembled at the thought of Madison being trapped in there for hours on end, not knowing what time it was...feeling forgotten yet somehow watched all at once.

The door slammed behind her with an echoed thud, forcing Doctor Li to look up from the steel table. Her eyes grew large as she stood up with a sharp intake of breath. "Ella?...Is that you?..."

Charmer let out a disbelieving chuckle before running into the scientist's arms, ignoring the wince of pain she let out. "Oh my god, you're real...you're actually here!"

She pushed Ella back, looking into her welled up eyes "...Why are you here? _How_ are you here? Everyone thought you were dead."

"What? I'm not dead." 

"We heard the Railroad was destroyed by the Brotherhood. When you never came back to us everyone assumed you were gone too. Shaun...he thought you died there."

"No! I survived the attack, the Brotherhood captured me." She sighed. "Oh my god, Shaun must have been so upset...I didn't mean for him to think I died. Is he okay?"

Doctor Li's face changed.

She let go of Charmer's hands and stepped back, exhaling every bit of energy left in her. "Jesus...you don't know."

"Know what?" Her mouth went dry. "What happened?" 

Madison looked at the young mother, her eyes were full of compassion and utter disappointment. "Ella...Shaun is dead." 

Ella was still for a moment before she stumbled backward, fingers twitching at her heart. "That isn't funny." She whispered. 

"It isn't a joke. He passed shortly after the Railroad was attacked. That's why I'm here...Dr. Ayo took his place so I left and came to work for the Brotherhood."

"N-no...no." Her voice was firm. "You're lying. He...he can't be gone. I just got him back." A strangled sob slipped out. 

"I don't know what to say. I'm...I'm sorry." 

 She crumbled to the floor with her head balancing between her knees. "H-how?" She barely spoke.

"Cancer in combination with his age...and when he thought you had died...he just gave up. He passed in his sleep."

"He was all alone? Oh god...I should have been there!" 

"He went peacefully, relatively pain-free. You can't blame yourself for not being there."

She got up and paced around the small room, trying to mentally work through all the information she had just gotten. "He died without...without me. I never got to say goodbye..." It felt like he had been stolen all over again. Only instead of Kellogg, this time he was taken by fate. 

Madison placed a hand on her shoulder. "I wish I could say something to help you but...I can't. I'm just sorry that you had to find out this way." 

"I didn't think my life could get any worse." She sniffled. "Now I have nothing left."

They had a moment of silence for Shaun's life, Ella mourned for her own as well. 

Madison was the first to speak. "I still don't understand. Why are you here? I was under the impression that you hated the Brotherhood." 

"Nope." She laughed bitterly. "I like them so much in fact that I volunteered my freedom just for the hell of it." 

"You're a slave." She sighed. "For how long?"

"I don't know...what month is it?" 

"March." 

Ella rubbed her temples, time seemed to just blend together into a big mess. "Two months." She turned to face her. "Please, you've got to get me out of here. Is there anything you can do?" 

"Not likely. It seems I'm a prisoner for now too, despite me coming here on my own free will." 

The door opened and Danse walked in, handcuffs ready to lock around Charmer's wrists. "Ella, your time is up. I have to escort you back to Elder Maxson."

Madison cringed inwardly as she watched Shaun's mother be taken away in chains, before she was out of sight she caught her lips whispering something back to her. 

"Help me." 

 *

Arthur stood in the command deck watching the sun gleam over the Commonwealth skyline. It wasn't as nice as the view he had from the Citadel, but he had to admit it was still breath taking.

He let his mind wander to the events from earlier in the day; seeing Ella on her knees before him...doing things he had only dreamed of when he first saw her face. It was incredible, he wanted to memorize every detail and emotion he felt as she took him in her mouth. He loved seeing her so submissive, so unwilling yet desperate enough to comply. It lit a fire inside of him that left him craving more...

"Arthur! We have a problem." Danse walked into the deck, interrupting his thoughts. The young elder sighed and spun around, looking at his favorite paladin with impatience. 

"What's wrong?" 

"It's Doctor Li...she's refusing to work on Liberty Prime."

"Of course." He scoffed. Somehow he knew Ella had something to do with it. 

"What would you like us to do? Ingram needs her."

Arthur looked back at the view from his window and smiled to himself. "I'll have a word with her. It's about time we met."

*

He walked into the interrogation room with a charming smile, hoping that he wouldn't have to work too hard to convince the scientist to work for him. He was nothing if not persuasive. 

When the door shut, he strolled over, chest proud. The woman had aged, no doubt. He could still remember the time she scolded him as a child for sneaking into the science lab without clearance. It was the first time somebody had dared to challenge him...he had gotten accustomed to being treated like royalty due to his lineage, but Doctor Li? She just saw right through him. 

Madison looked him over with the same icy stare. "Hmph...if it isn't the great Elder Maxson. You sure have grown up since the last time I saw you."

"It's good to see you too, Doctor Li. How long has it been, nine years?" he sat across from her "Can I get you anything? Water?"

"You can give me my freedom."

"Straight to the point? Very well." He smiled coyly. "I find it odd that you would want to leave considering how much you went through to find us. What changed your mind?"

"Are you joking?" She chuckled. "This is _not_ the Brotherhood I remember. And I didn't even like you all back then."

"Yes, I remember your distrust of us...I remember you abandoning us after Project Purity."

"You don't remember anything, you were a child. It isn't my problem that the others filled your head up with lies...it's such a shame too, you were a sweet boy. Now, look what they've done to you." 

"I have changed, yes. Grown up. But for the better. And it would be wise of you to help us with Liberty Prime."

"And why is that?"

He leaned in across the table, letting his voice drop to a husky whisper. "Because you don't want to make an enemy of me, Doctor Li."

She leaned in as well, challenging him just as she had done before. "Please. Don't intimidate me. You may be grown now but you will always be a child in my eyes. I would never work for someone like you."

"Someone like me?"

"You are keeping that poor girl slave. She doesn't deserve that."

He leaned back with a smirk. "Ah, yes...I assume you and Ella met in the Institute. When she discovered you were here she begged me to let her see you...she even got on her knees and earned it." 

"And you're proud of that? Of forcing her to do things? That isn't something Elder Lyons would have done and that man was delusional. I can only imagine what Sarah-"

"Don't!" Arthur slammed his fist on the table "Don't you ever bring her up!"

Madison chuckled. It would seem she found the one thing that could break the great Arthur Maxson. "Do whatever you want to me, Maxson. Tourure me. Kill me. I am not going to work on Liberty Prime. I've already made that mistake before...and I don't intend on doing it again."

Arthur stood up from the steel chair and opened the door, looking back at the scientist with a dark edge behind his steel blue eyes. "I have ways of making people do things, Madison. Remember that."

He slammed the door.

*

Ella quietly sobbed into her pillow, letting the world around her finally crumble.

She never had the chance to be a mother...maybe for a few months before it was taken from her. When she woke up from the vault she promised Nate that she would find him...that she would take care of him...now he was dead. She didn't know which hurt worse, knowing that she failed Nate or knowing that she failed Shaun. Either way it didn't matter anymore...her life was practically over. 

The door suddenly slammed shut as Arthur walked in and she didn't even flinch, she couldn't care anymore. Nothing he could do would make her feel any worse than she already does. 

"Ella, what are you doing over there?" He hung his coat just like every other day.

She said nothing, prompting him to walk across the room. 

"Giving me the silent treatment, are we?" He sat beside her on the bed and rolled her over, noticing how puffy and teary her eyes were. "Why are you crying?" He asked.

"I'm just tired."

"Why are you lying to me?" His brow quirked up. "Did somebody on my staff say something to you? Something inappropriate?"

Ella sat up and wrapped her arms over her knees. Why did he act like he cared? Because he didn't want other people playing with his toys?

"I just miss my friends." She said instead. It was the safest answer, not a lie but not the whole truth. 

"Oh." He relaxed his shoulders a bit. "It's alright, darling. I'm sure they miss you too but at least you know they're safe."

"Am I ever going to see them again?" 

"No. I'm sorry, but that was the choice you made when you decided to stay here. Their freedom in exchange for yours."

Ella wanted to fight. They both knew she didn't choose to stay on this stupid blimp...she was forced. Knowing that though didn't change anything...in fact if she were to fight him on it she would just end up being punished. It was useless, all of it. 

"How about we get you out of this room for awhile. Would you care to accompany me to the power armor station?" Arthur asked, moving a piece of hair out of her face.

"I don't know...I'm not feeling great."

"Come on. Let's go." He urged.

She sighed and walked with him out of the room. At least she could get her mind off of some things...

*

"Doctor Li." Arthur greeted. 

They had walked across the ship to where Madison was. Ella was happy to see her again, but there was no way she could show it when Arthur was beside her. It was too risky. Still, Madison looked over her shoulder at Arthur before noticing Ella. She gave her a sympathetic frown before forcing herself to look away.

Arthur took the opportunity to grab Ella's hand, an action he had never done before, and walk her over to the scientist. Li looked down at their holding hands and scoffed. He was trying to get under her skin. 

"Have you reconsidered working on Liberty Prime yet, Doctor?" He asked.

"You know I haven't and I refuse to consider it. There is nothing you can do to convince me otherwise."

He smiled and let go of Ella's hand, walking forward with two even strides. "Are you sure about that Madison?" Without her response he glanced back at Ella and swiftly back handed her across the cheek, making her stumble to the floor.

"Ah!" She hissed and felt her face go numb with pain.

"Oh my god!" Madison gasped.

"I'll ask again. Have you reconsidered?"

"You're insane!"

He chuckled and leaned down, pulling Ella to her feet again and putting his hand around her neck, choking her while she clawed at his arm for him to stop. Her feet were off the ground, pathetically kicking to free herself from his grasp. Madison's blood ran cold as she saw Ella's lips turn slightly blue, she screamed out for the whole Prydwen to hear. "Alright! You win, I'll do it! Just stop it! STOP!" 

"That's what I thought." Arthur smirked and dropped Ella to the floor.

She gasped for air and gagged, nearly choking on her own saliva.

"You." Arthur looked at a nearby scribe. "Yes, sir?"

"Take my servant to Cade. Have him give her a full check up then return her to my quarters." The scribe nodded and scurried over, helping Ella up and walking with her to the medical unit. Madison watched in shock and anger as she limped down the hallway, no doubt shaken up.

As Arthur began to walk away he leaned in close to Doctor Li. "Don't ever cross me again."


	8. Chapter 8

Charmer could remember all the times Deacon and Dez warned her about the Brotherhood. They would tell her that they were evil and selfish, that they would do unimaginable things to innocent people if it meant getting their way. And she never believed that fully, she didn't think any person, let alone an entire army, would be so cruel. Until now.

"Ella, why isn't dinner ready?" Arthur asked as he walked inside of the room.

She refused to respond. After what happened, she earned the right to be petty. Her neck was bruised in the imprint of his hand, her cheek still stung from being slapped so unexpectedly. Worse than that, she felt so ashamed. She somehow felt like it was her fault, that maybe she deserved it. How did he do that? How did he make her feel responsible for  _his_ actions? It made her hate herself even more...was that his goal? Maybe if he slowly chipped away at her emotions then she would eventually become docile. Then he would never have to worry about her running away or trying to fight him. She'd be too helpless without him telling her what to do.

She didn't want to admit it but it was working. The choice to ignore him was shadowed by fear; was proving her point worth being punished? She almost didn't know anymore. 

Arthur could read her better than a book, he walked across the room and stood behind her while she folded his clothes. She could practically feel his gaze burning into her back, just the presence of him looming over had her quivering. 

"Are you still upset about earlier?" He spoke into her ear.

She folded another shirt silently.

"Answer me, Ella, at least so I know you're not deaf."

"You choked me." She simply responded.

She could feel his lips quirk up. "Oh, sweetheart...I was only making a point. Cade gave you pain medicine, right?"

"It isn't about the pain, it's about the principle."

"Oh please, Ella. Let's not be dramatic. I needed to discipline you so that Doctor Li would work with us."

He spoke like what he did was perfectly acceptable, it only made her more angry.

She turned around and faced him, eyes glaring deep into his. "That's what you call discipline? I could have stopped breathing, you could have killed me." 

"Darling, I would never put you in any real danger." He tried to assure her by grabbing her hand.

She yanked it back and scoffed. "Bullshit. Since the day we met you have done nothing but put me in harms way."

"That's hardly true. I have never done a thing to you that wasn't justified."

"Are you delusional?" She was genuinely bewildered. "You destroyed the Railroad...because of you all my friends are either gone or dead."

"I saved you, Ella. A little gratitude would be appreciated."

She threw down the shirt she was folding and stood up, Arthur followed suit.

"Is that what you think you did...you think you saved me?" She stared right into the paleness of his sapphire eyes.  "You stole me. You stole my life."

Arthur stalked closer, pinning her against the wall. She flinched when his arms came up on either side of her to trap her in his grasp. Still, she refused to back down. She wasn't somebody's bitch...especially not his.

"You think I stole you?" He asked, voice low and threatening.

"I'm your slave. What else would you call that?" She matched his tone.

"We made a deal. Your freedom for your friends' lives."

"Oh please...you would have taken me no matter what I decided and you know it." 

"You're right. I would have...and you know why?" He leaned in so his forehead grazed hers. "Because I get what I want."

"And what exactly is it you want, _elder_?" She spat.

"I want you. Today, tomorrow, and forever. Face it, kitten...we're never going to be rid of each other; you can fight me everyday for the rest of your life and it won't make a difference. You. Are. Mine." 

"Go to hell." Charmer hissed.

He let out a hearty chuckle. "I look forward to it, my dear. I know you'll be right there with me." He caught her lower lip between his teeth, pulling until she made a cry of pain. She pulled back swiftly and spat out blood, glaring at him with complete disdain. 

"You are such a evil cunt!"

"And you're a difficult little girl." He retorted.

"Fuck you."

He smirked at her crudeness. "If you insist."

He pulled the hair at the base of her scalp, exposing her neck just enough for him to sink his teeth into the sensitive flesh. Ella tried pushing him off with no success; it was as useful as trying to move a brick wall. 

"Get off, asshole!" She fought against him. 

"With pleasure." He grinned and shoved her forward, flinging her onto the bed with brute force.

She stumbled onto her side with no time to prepare for the cold sting of handcuffs locking her wrists behind her back. Arthur flipped her over like she was a tattered doll, using one hand to unzip his uniform while the other shoved her head into the mattress. "I'm bored with your attitude, Ella. I think it's about time I show you how to respect your master." He gave her ass a sharp smack. "I have to give it to you, though, I really thought I could make you fall for me, I tried everything in my power to seduce you into compliance but _you_ are a stubborn woman." He slapped her again.

"Let me go!" She screamed into the bed. 

"No, I think you like being tied up, I can see it in your eyes. Your mouth might say no but I know what you really want," he shoved his suit to his knees and pulled out his cock, rubbing it in circles against her bare skin "-I know deep down you're just like me, Ella. You're damaged, ruined by your past. Nobody understands you, they think you're just crude and unworthy of love but I understand you, Ella. I do. Nobody else." 

He turned her with a yank on the t-shirt she wore, ripping it down the middle and tearing it from her in one rough movement. The cold air hardened her nipples, making Arthur grow a devilish smile before taking her breast into his mouth. She squirmed beneath him, trying to find the perfect angle to head-butt him. Arthur countered her move with a smack to her cheek.

"Enough fighting me." He hissed. 

"Get...off." Ella choked out. 

He chuckled and shoved down her pants, taking her underwear with it as he spread her legs open. "I should have done this a long time ago." He jeered. "I think a good fucking will remind you of your place." He spat on his fingers and rubbed up and down her slit, groaning at how it glistened with his saliva. "What do you have to say now? No jokes, no sarcasm?" 

A helpless quiver left her voice. "Y-you can't do this. I'm a person...I have the right to say no." 

"I beg to differ." He slid two fingers in, moaning low at how warm she was. "You're so fucking tight, Ella. I think you'll enjoy this just as much as me." 

"Please..." A downtrodden plea escaped her lips. "I'll be good. I won't talk back, Arthur, please...I'll be good. I'll be good. I'll be good. I'll be good." She repeated over and over. 

He moved down her body with a path of rough love bites, stopping to bury his mouth between her legs.

Ella let out a shrill gasp. "No! Stop it!"

He lapped at her instead, flicking his tongue over her while she fought the sensation building up. Her back tried to arch off the bed but his hands kept her hips in place, the intensity of his movements had her swallowing a lump in her throat, her breathing became unsteady as the familiar flare of heat was overtaking her. The thought of him making her orgasm, of forcing that reaction from her...it devastated her.

Just as she tipped over the edge, Arthur halted his movements and pulled away. The loss of his touch drew a pitiful whine from her, the high of her climax fading too quickly. Arthur wore a smug grin as he lazily used his thumb to rub the bundle of nerves, making her stay on the brink of cumming. 

"Please..." she panted pathetically "-stop." 

"I'm teaching you a valuable lesson, kitten. It's respect...you don't cum until I say so." He swirled his tongue over her, making her buck her hips into his mouth.

"Ah!" She cried out. "Fuck...please." She didn't even know what she was pleading for at this point. 

Arthur ignored her and continued his assault until he felt her legs begin to tremble around his ears. She was so agonizingly close, it was such a sight to behold. They way she bit her lip and tossed her head back, the way the muscles in her stomach tightened, it was glorious. He sucked at her clit mercilessly and pulled back again. "You've been a bad girl, Ella. I'm not sure you deserve to cum."

Ella sobbed softly, sweat trickled down her forehead as she fought the urge to scream. "Please, Arthur...just stop. I won't fight you anymore, I promise." She could feel her head become heavy and fuzzy at the constant denial of release. 

Arthur twisted his fingers inside of her, adding a third while studying her face. She tried so hard not to enjoy it, tears ran down her cheeks and fell onto her breasts. What a remarkable sight...

She let out a sharp, pathetic gasp when he curled his fingers inside of her.

"Please, Arthur! I can't take it anymore!"  

"Master."

"W-what?"

"Call me master." He rubbed her gently, as to drive her insane.

"Please...Master." She was utterly humiliated. 

"Please what?"

Ella couldn't help but to let out a broken cry. "Let me cum! Please!!"

Arthur smiled self-righteously and ground his mouth against her, letting his fingers expertly probe inside of her. It took less than thirty seconds for her to tighten around his fingers with an overdue moan, her vision going blurry for a few seconds as her orgasm took over her body. When she finally blinked away the distortion she saw Arthur hovering over her as if he'd won.

"Tell me...has anyone ever made you cum like that before?" 

She was too worn out to respond, which is exactly how he wanted her. She was finally submissive, covered in a veil of sweat and afterglow.

Fucking stunning.

Arthur's hands lifted her pelvis to angle her up, his nails dug into her hips as he pushed himself into her. 

He filled her up nicely, stretching her just enough to make her wince slightly. With each movement of his hips he got closer to following his own release, praises fell from his lips as he forced himself deeper and deeper inside of her. 

"Such...a good...girl." He grunted. "Gonna...make me cum. I bet you'd like that...slut. You're my slut, aren't you?"

Ella didn't protest, didn't object, she just gave in. Almost lifelessly she stared up at the ceiling while tears spilt over her lashes.

"Ahh...fuck yes!" Arthur breathed out ardently as pumped his seed into her with no mercy. Her head smacking against the headboard with every thrust.

He stayed there for a moment, breathing heavily into her neck while he whispered sweet words.

"You're so beautiful, Ella. And you're all mine." 

She remained motionless as he slowly removed himself and went to shower. 

She could feel his cum seeping out of her, sticking to her thighs in the most reprehensible of ways. The only thought that kept going through her mind was that Arthur had won.

He finally broke her. 


	9. Chapter 9

The next few months blended together like a horrible nightmare.

 

_"Over my knee. Now."_

_Ella cowered in front of him, voice cracking softly. "I didn't do anything."_

_"Precisely. You haven't done a single thing today."_

_"B-but the laundry is done...the room is clean, I finished all my chores yesterday!"_

_"And what about the bookshelves? Did you dust them?"_

_A panicked wave of realization threatened to make her throw up. "I...I forgot. I'm so sorry, Arthur."_

_His brow quirked up inauspiciously._

_"...Master." Ella corrected herself._

_"Better." He walked over to his desk chair and sat. "I'll go easy on you, three slaps."_

_He patted his thigh and watched self-satisfied as Ella positioned herself over his lap with beautiful submission. His hands rubbed her ass before he pulled up the night shirt she wore to bed to smack her hard, the only buffer being the thin fabric of her underwear._

_"Mrm." She bit her tongue. "One."_

_He hit her again._

_"Two."_

_Once more._

_"Three."_

_Arthur admired the way his hand marked up her pale skin, it was a stunning contrast._ _He licked the tips of his index and middle fingers, snaking them under her panties while she squirmed unwillingly beneath him._

_"Do you like that?" He asked._

_"Yes, sir." She lied._

_"Would you like to cum?"_

_"No, sir."_

_"That's unfortunate," he pressed his fingers inside of her "-because that's what is going to happen."_

 

Days blurred, turning into weeks. Ella began to lose her sense of time...had it been years? Was it the middle of the day or had she only been alone in the room for ten minutes? Living in isolation with the only contact to Arthur and nameless soldiers, she felt her personality slowly disintegrating into thin air.

 

_His hands bunched in her hair, forcing her to move at his desired pace regardless of what she wanted._

_It was almost impossible to breathe with his length hitting the back of her throat repeatedly, her fear and panic kept her from remembering to breathe through her nose. Noises of broken cries and muffled pleas left her with zero sympathy from Arthur. He couldn't care less if she choked on him, as long as he got off and she didn't asphyxiate, it didn't matter how much she begged for him to stop._

_"You like the taste of my cock?"_

_She nodded passively._

_He groaned deep in chest, his mouth hung slightly open as he watched in awe of how she took all of him in one go. "Fuck." He breathed out. Ella knew that noise well, it meant he was finally close to being done. Part of her wanted to pray that she wouldn't vomit this time when he'd shoot his seed down her throat. The other part of her, however, wanted him to see just how repulsed she was by him._

_Arthur unexpectedly pushed her off his cock, letting her gasp for air as a strand of saliva went from her mouth to the swollen head of his length._ _"On your feet." He demanded while stroking himself._

_Ella obeyed and let Arthur maneuver her so that she laid flat on her back, her legs were placed around his hips while he drove himself into her. She wheezed painfully as he took her deep; she was nowhere near wet enough for him. She had to be bleeding, no pain this great came without bloodshed._

_"Tell me how much you love my cock inside of you."  Arthur whispered into her ear._

_A swarm of defeated tears stung her eyes before spilling over. "I love it." She spoke in a hoarse mutter._

_"Good girl." He pumped into her at a faster pace. "Now rub your clit for me."_

_She sobbed inwardly as she let her hand move down to idly play with herself, Arthur hummed in approval of her obedience, finishing in her with two more sharp, pain-filled thrusts._

_When he pulled himself from her they both saw his cock covered with blood and cum._

_"Ella," he used a threatening tone "...aren't you forgetting to say something?"_

_She looked up at the ceiling with complete despondency. "Thank you, Master, for fucking me."_

 

She was a shell of who she used to be; no more did she reply hotly with sarcastic wit, that part of her was gone. She was only Arthur's slave, that was what her whole life became about. It was rare for her to have an original thought and when she did it was only when she was alone with nobody to share it with. 

It was amazing that Arthur could strip her of literally everything in her life. Her clothes, her speech; he controlled it all.

 

  _Her legs ached from the ropes wrapped around her ankles, securing her to the bed frame with her thighs spread apart. Arthur was nestled between her, lapping at her folds with pleased whispers._

_"You always taste so fucking good." He praised her. "I could do this for hours..."_

_It wasn't very common for him to eat her out, it was usually reserved for good behavior. This time, however, it was being used as punishment._

_"Would you like to cum_ _, Ella?"_

_"Yes, Master." She spoke through tears, how long had he been at it? Two hours?_

_"Say the magic word." He nipped lightly at her clit._

_She let out a frustrated cry. "Please!"_

_He loved edging her, he adored making her so desperate that she had to beg to finally feel satisfaction. She was tough to crack, it usually took a good hour to wear her out, but Arthur loved a challenge. Loved pushing her past her limits._

_He allowed her to wriggle her hips under his tongue, listening as he breathing sped up once again._

_Just as she tipped over the edge, he stopped. Ella cried out shamefully; her hips still moved trying to find any sort of friction that would ease her frustrations. Arthur smirked and gave one last teasingly slow circle around her clit before moving over her to capture her lips between his._

_He pulled away with a calm exhale while his thumb traced her lower lip. "_ _I think that's enough for tonight. You must be exhausted."_

_Ella swallowed down all of her pride; with Arthur, it no longer existed. "Please let me cum."_

_He smiled and let out a dismissive chuckle. "You're being punished, remember? This is what happens when you talk back."  His eyes shifted lower to her chest, then down her stomach. "However," he paused. "...I suppose I could let you have some relief."_

_"Really?" Ella asked._

_"Yes." He sat up and pulled out a cigar. "Go on."_

_"What?"_

_"Surely, you didn't think I would reward you with an orgasm?" He laughed. "No...I want you to give me a show. Now."_

_She tried to hide her shame as her fingers moved lower to rub against her clit, if she hadn't been so desperate she would've refused...but Arthur knew exactly how to get his way._

 

It really was one long nightmare. Except there was no waking up or slipping into the sweet escape of death...it was just constant.

Every. Single. Day. 

It had to end eventually, right?

 

A knock on the door had her jerking out of her memories. She glanced over to Arthur then back at the door.

"Come in." He called from his desk. 

Danse stepped inside the room, his gaze immediately landing on Ella. He didn't need to hear her speak to know that she was broken. It happens to all slaves at some point, they just...gave up. Still, Danse was disappointed. He had hoped she would have held out longer than she had. Dark circles were under her eyes, bruises painted her wrists, her cheeks were hollowed from lack of eating. She looked so... _gone._

"Was there something you needed, Paladin?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, uh, Proctor Quinlan wishes to see you." He spoke to Ella. "We need your help to confirm Doctor Li's reports on the Institute's layouts."

Then she did the worst possible thing: she looked to Arthur for permission.

"Why so late?" He hummed. 

"It's the only free time he had." 

"And will Doctor Li be present?"  

"Yes." 

A mischievous smirk peeked through his beard. "Very well. I'll take Ella there myself, make sure she gets situated." 

Danse held back an irritated sigh. He knew what Arthur was trying to do...provoke a reaction from the scientist he hated so much. He reveled in seeing her so torn up over Ella's circumstance. It killed Danse on some levels...ever since that day in the power armor station when he struck her, he couldn't look at his beloved Elder the same way. 

"Do you have something to say Paladin Danse?" A single brow raised, almost daring him to say something. 

His lips drew into a tight line. "No, sir."  

 *

The moment they walked into Quinlan's office, Madison sneered while Arthur smiled. He watched as her lip curled at the sight of his hand around Ella's waist. Before leaving he pulled Ella into a sham of a kiss, his eyes locked with Madison's as he ran a possessive hand down Ella's spine.

"Give me your report when you're done." He looked at his proctor before exiting. 

Ella sat across from Quinlan, though her eyes were glued to Madison...she, however, could barely return the eye contact. She'd never seen Ella look so defeated.

It made her feel awful, even being captive she was still treated with respect from the others. Daily life wasn't all that different for her. She had almost forgotten that Ella wasn't in the same position.

"Good evening, Ella. Thank you for coming in." Quinlan began. "I just need you to back up Doctor Li's statements about the Institute. Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir." 

"Excellent. Tell me how many divisions there are." 

"Three. The Bioscience division, Advanced Systems, and the Synth Retention Bureau."

"And which of those is the largest?"

"I...I don't know." Her breathing sped up. "I'm so sorry."

Madison winced at how she apologized so quickly over nothing. 

"It's alright. Describe the interior instead, can you manage that?"

The questioning continued, mostly about the divisions and the layouts of halls. There was no point in lying, she fed him all the information, occasionally glancing over at Madison.

"Thank you...I will go speak with Elder Maxson and have him look over this new information. Excuse me."

Quinlan left the room, leaving the two captives alone. Madison sighed once the door shut and looked up at Shaun's mother. She could see his eyes in hers. That same damn stubbornness was still there, albeit faded. 

"Ella...you look..."

"Terrible?" She finished for her.

"Yes." She looked sympathetic. "Are you eating? You look sick."

"Sometimes. I just don't really have an appetite anymore."

"Are you at least sleeping?"

"Not well."

There was a long pause. "Is he...hurting you?"

She nodded.

Madison sighed and shook her head. "I wish there was something I can do."

Ella looked back at the door, leaning in closer to whisper across the steel table. "Maybe there is..."

"What do you mean?"

"You have access to the medical bay don't you?"

"Sometimes, but I'm mostly restricted to the labs. Why?"

"Look...I know what I'm asking is a lot but...maybe you could pocket some chems. Jet or Buffout...enough to... _you know_." 

Madison felt her heart sink at the realization of what she was asking. "No. I will not help you kill yourself, Ella. How could you even ask me that?"

"Please..." her eyes welled up "...I only need a few. It would be painless and easy. Nobody could trace it back to you."

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Madison, I am begging you...I can't live like this anymore." 

"Ella...you can't die. You're so young! You have so much to live for, what about Shaun?"

"Do you think he would want me here? Sleeping with Maxson against my will for the next thirty years? Come on...you and me both know I'm not getting out of here anytime soon."

"I-I'm sorry...I just can't. I wouldn't be able to live with myself." Madison sighed.

The door swung open and Arthur walked inside, catching them both off guard. Ella quickly wiped the tears from her face and sat up straight, trying to look unbothered. 

"Doctor Li, you're needed down at the airport to help with Liberty Prime." He instructed.

"At three in the morning?" She scoffed. 

"Is that a problem?" His hand wrapped around Ella's shoulder as an unspoken threat.

"Fine." She stood up.

Arthur's eyes followed her out of the room before looking back to Ella. "Darling, would you care to accompany to the command deck?" 

"Why?" She asked.

He smiled, darkness lingering behind it. Rather than answering her, he took her hand and walked with her out of the room.

 *

The command deck was huge, something Ella had never seen before. Arthur never allowed her to this side of the Prydwen, and she could see why. There were multiple exits to the deck...if she had a knife she could stab him and make a run for it, jump off this stupid ship and end this. Sadly, that wasn't the case.

Arthur walked her into a large room with windows along the walls, overlooking the entire Commonwealth. For a moment Ella was speechless...even before the war she had never seen the view from up here. The glittering lights of settlements were bright against the darkness of night. It was incredible, it almost erased all of the devastation from the bombs. 

"Wow." She spoke in awe. She let her palm touch the glass, longing to feel the Boston air again. 

"Breathtaking, isn't it?" Arthur smiled. "I enjoy looking at the Commonwealth from here. It really puts things into perspective, don't you think?"

"It's certainly pretty." 

Arthur pulled her eyes away from the mirror, smiling down at her with a glimmer in his eyes. "Ella, you've been serving me for a number of months now...and as the fight to the Institute draws near, my staff and I have been making preparations for us to return home."

"Home?"

"Yes...the Capital Wasteland."

"Oh." She could remember that MacCready guy telling her that's where he grew up. She had no idea the Brotherhood was from there too. "What does that mean for me?" She asked.

"That's exactly why I've brought you up here, El. I want you to come with us when we leave the Commonwealth."

"Do I even have a choice?" A tinge of anger was laced between her words. 

"No." He said flatly. "Let me finish...I want you to come with us, but not as my slave. As my wife." He smiled.

"Wait, what?" She took a step back. "Are you...are you crazy? Are you absolutely insane? I would NEVER agree to be your wife! Ever!" She shouted.

Arthur chuckled at her boldness. "Like I said before, you don't have a choice. I'm just telling you what's going to happen. Once we go back to the Capital Wasteland, you and I will be married in front of all of the Brotherhood."

"No! I refuse!" She jeered. "You can fuck me, slap me around, and make me clean up after you all you want but I will **not** marry you! I would rather die!"

"Ha, so aggressive! It's refreshing to see that you still have some fight in you. I was afraid I had broken you." He grinned.

"You will never break me." She hissed, fists clenched.

"That's precisely why I want to make you my wife." He beamed. "As for right now, however, I want you to go and see Cade. Get a full check up. I want you nice and healthy for our wedding day." He winked. 

"I fucking hate you!" She screamed while two paladins rushed in, grabbing her by the arms and dragging her to the medical bay. 

Arthur smiled. He loved seeing that fight back in Ella. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've started a three chapter story of how Deacon and Charmer became so close and it's here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/13409310/chapters/30722478
> 
> It's not necessary to read, just for fun. 
> 
> Also...you know...you should leave a comment. It's been a shitty night for me.  
> *sigh*


	10. Chapter 10

Ella stared up at the ceiling of Arthur's room, trying to mentally burn a hole through the thick steel with her gaze. She could almost picture it; laser beams would shoot from her pupils and disintegrate the metal in a perfect circle, just like the heros in those old-fashioned comic books. Hey, maybe if it actually worked she could climb to her sweet freedom...or fall to her inevitable death.

Sadly, those two options were one and the same.

She rolled over in the bed, grabbing a soft pillow to cling to her chest. The feathery material helped soothe the ache in her heart, which for whatever reason, wouldn't go away. 

Arthur must've really wore her out the last time he fucked her...her head was still splitting from crying so hard, not to mention she was still queasy from feeling his seed shoot inside of her in thick ropes. She physically shivered at the memory, catching Arthur's attention from across the room. 

"Ella? What are you doing over there?"

"Plotting your death." She retorted softly.

 He chuckled and stood up, striding over to the bed with a smirk lingering on his perfect lips. "Oh? May I make a suggestion?"

"No."

"Very well. Perhaps I can just give you some advice."

"If you insist." She huffed.

He laid beside her with his ankles carelessly crossed and his hands resting behind his head. "You can't outmatch me in a fist fight, we both know that. And I'm far more skilled with guns then you so unless you use a long-range sniper rifle you won't be able to get a perfect shot...however, unless you have a silencer you would most certainly be caught by my men and killed, rendering my death pointless. I suppose you could use a knife but it wouldn't kill me unless the wound became infected. Aside from that what other options are there?"

Ella looked back at the ceiling pointedly. "I was thinking an alligator would be nice...maybe lava. Do you have a preference?"

"Lava might be nice, I've always preferred heat more than the cold."

"Then that settles it...I'll bury you in an avalanche."

"I wish you luck then." He smirked. 

They laid in comfortable silence for awhile, the only sound was the breathing between them. It was rare when Arthur was so talkative, whenever it happened it almost tricked her into thinking he was just a regular guy. Nicer, funnier, sometimes playful. It made her think maybe in another world they could be...friends.

"Can I ask you something?" She decided to take advantage of his relaxed state. "And I want an honest answer. No bullshit."

He shifted. "It depends on the question but alright. Ask and I will answer to the best of my abilities."

No going back now...once these words left her lips she wouldn't be able to take them back...

"What were Sarah's last words?" 

Arthur's mouth opened but nothing intelligent came out. "...H-how-?" 

"It doesn't matter how I know. The fact is...I know." 

He swallowed thickly and shook his head. "It's irrelevant." He tried to slip back into his collected demeanor. "It's been five years." 

"Why won't you tell anyone?" Ella sat up. "Seriously? I mean if you won't tell the dip-shits who record data then can't you at _least_ tell me? I mean, Jesus, Arthur...don't you think I of all people should get an explanation?" 

He sat up alongside her, just as heated. "I don't owe you anything. You're not my wife, yet, Ella. You do not get to demand things of me." 

"If I'm going to be forced to marry you then shouldn't I know about the other woman you claimed to love?!"

"You are not entitled to that information!" He raised his voice. "I don't ask about your late husband, do I?" 

"Probably because you already know everything! I'm not stupid, Arthur, I know you have access to old military records!" Her mouth was dry from shouting so much; her chest rose and fell frantically. "Tell me happened, Arthur. What _really_ happened." 

He sighed and looked away, almost as if he couldn't bear to remember. "I...sang to her, alright? One of the songs she sang to me when my mother died." 

"Which song?" 

"Dream a Little Dream of Me." 

Ella knew the song, she'd played it on the piano countless times, always humming along softly to the tune. "Then what?" She asked. 

"I don't want to-" 

Ella grabbed his hand, holding it tightly in both of hers. Arthur's eyes gazed down to where their skin connected, willingly, for the first time. The warmth of her palms heated his cheeks, there was no doubt in his mind that his face was turning pink.

"Are you sure you want to know?" He asked quietly. 

"Yes. I need to know." 

He nodded solemnly and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before going over the details of Sarah's last moments. 

 

 

_Sarah choked on blood, coughing it out while using her hands to weakly push the car off of her. Arthur shot at the last mutant before dropping his gun and scrambling to where she laid, trying to help her move the debris._

_"It...won't move!" He grunted._

_Sarah shook her head. "It's not going to move. It...must weigh a ton."_

_"It has to move!" Arthur shouted. "It has to!"_

_"Hey..." she grabbed his arm "...relax? Just breathe, okay?_ _Are...you hurt?"  She asked._

_"No." He sat on his knees. "Sarah...I can't move it, I need to go and get help."_

_"Stay with me. It's going to be okay."_

_"Are you insane? You're losing a lot of blood."_

_"Pretty sure I was...insane before losing the blood." She choked on a laugh._

_Arthur pet her head carefully. "Don't say anything, just save your strength. You're gonna get through this, okay?"_

_"No..." she gargled out. "...I'm not gonna make it, Arthur."_

_"Don't say that! You aren't going to die, do you hear me?!"_

_She smiled weakly. "You're so...cute...when you're in denial."_

_"Please don't be sarcastic at a time like this, Sarah. You gotta focus. Stay awake!"_

_She shook her head. "I'm dying. I can tell, I've seen it a million times." A tear fell from her eyes. "Do you have any idea how many knights have died in my arms? Forty-eight. And every damn time I lied to them...I told them they were going to be okay. But they knew...they knew by the way I looked into their eyes that they were doomed. I-it's how you're looking at me right now."_

_Arthur let out an exhausted cry and pressed his forehead to hers, whispering useless apologies and prayers. "You can't die...I_ _don't think I can live without you."_

_"Yes, you can. And you will...y-you're strong."_

_"I'm weak." He shook his head. "You're the reason I'm strong."_

_She shushed him and reached her hand up to stroke his cheek lovingly. "I'm...so sorry, Arthur."_

_"Sorry? What are you sorry for? This is all my fault."_

_"Just...let me...talk. I don't have...time." She sighed. "I never told you this but...your mom. She didn't die from being sick...she was...murdered. I w-wanted to protect you, you were just a kid."_

_He sighed and kissed her hand. "I don't care about that, Sarah. It doesn't matter anymore; what matters now is you, okay?"_

_She nodded and looked back at the sky, closing her eyes with knowing sorrow. "_ _Oh god..." She cried harder. "...I...I can't feel anymore pain. That...means I'm close, right? Isn't it supposed to feel like sleeping?...That's what everyone says."_

_Arthur sobbed alongside her, peppering her forehead with kisses. "It's okay, Sarah. I'm not leaving...you aren't alone, okay? I'm right here. You won't die alone."_

_"No...you should go...you shouldn't have to see me like this. It'll...ruin you."_

_"I'm not leaving you. Not in a million fucking years."_

_She let out a strangled chuckle. "Language."  She looked back to him. "...Sing to me? It'll help me...forget."_

_He nodded and cleared his throat, thinking of words to any song._

_"Stars shining bright above you_  
_Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"_  
_Birds singing in the sycamore trees_  
_Dream a little dream of me..."_  

_Sarah smiled and closed her eyes, nuzzling closer into Arthur's lap. When his song finished, they stayed silent, listening as the world around them slowed down._

_Sarah let out a fatigued sigh. "I'm...so tried. How long have we been out here?"_

_"Shh...it's alright.  Just go to sleep okay? I'll be right here when you wake up."_

_She nodded and took a shallow breath. "Promise?"_

_"I promise."_

_She slowly drifted off, quietly humming the tune to the song. Arthur rubbed her scalp as he rocked her back and forth, savoring every fleeting second they had left._

_"Hey, Arthur?" Sarah spoke softly._

_"Yeah?"_

_"You're...my best...friend."_

_"You're mine, too, Sarah. You always will be."_

_She passed moments later, a slight, content smile present on her face. Arthur's bones trembled inside of him, he let out a cry of agony and hugged her body, confessing over and over how much he loved her._

_In the end, he wasn't sure how long he had stayed out there. Honestly, he was content with starving to death next to her...it wasn't until he realized that he had a duty to his name to try and survive....for Sarah._

 

When he finally opened his eyes, Ella was wiping away a tear. 

"I'm sorry." She spoke gently. "I...can't imagine having to carry that with you for so long." 

He shrugged and let go of her hand, looking off into space while Ella watched in curious silence. 

"Can I ask you one more question?" 

"I don't see why not." 

"Why me?"

Arthur glanced up. "What?" 

"Why did you spare me? Why not let me and my friends die with the rest of the Railroad? Why did you take _me_ out of everyone else?" 

Arthur thought for a moment, weighing all of his answers together. "I suppose the best way to answer that is simply by telling you that you're the one."

"What are you talking about?"

"From the moment I saw you, I knew that I needed you. I couldn't live another day without you in my life. It's how I saw Sarah. You two aren't all that different, you know, she was a firecracker just like you. I remember seeing it in your eyes when I came through the church. You had lost, your friends laid dead around you, there was no hope in sight but you still looked so damn determined." He smiled slightly. "That was when I knew that I had to have you. And now I do." 

Ella's eyes watered up thinking about how truly insane this man was. "You should have killed me. You should have let me die."

"Now, where would be the fun in that?" He chuckled. 

She scoffed thoughtlessly. "You don't love me, you just like having someone to push around...the fact that I remind you of Sarah is just a bonus. I just don't get it, Arthur, what do you want from me? I've already given you my fucking life and still you demand more!"

Arthur looked down at her with dark, menacing eyes. He swiftly reached over and handcuffed her to the bed frame while she tried kicking him away. "You want to know what I want, Ella?" He asked. "I want you to be as _obsessed_ with me as I am with you. I want you to live for me, to breathe for me...and I want you to bleed for me." He pulled out a small combat knife from his belt and placed it on the sensitive skin on Ella's neck, firmly pressing it to her skin.

"You gonna kill me? Do it." She spat.

He smirked and looked into her eyes, studying his reflection in her pupils. Hastily, he removed the blade from her throat and slashed it across her arm, leaving a gash in it's wake.

"Argh! You fucking piece of shit!" Ella screamed. "I swear to God I will spend the rest of my life trying to get away from you! Just you fucking wait! The second I get off this damn ship I am never looking back!"

Arthur stood up and laughed. "And just how do you think you're getting off this ship? You think you can survive the jump from the flight deck? Or are you still waiting on your friends to come and save you?"

"Say what you want, but I'll never stop believing that my friends are coming to save me."

"Wanna know why I find that so funny, Ella?" He smiled. "...Because I killed them. You're friends are dead."

"W-what?" She went white. "You're lying..." 

He shook his head. "You really think I would let three Railroad agents go free? Are you that naive? They died the second they landed at the airport."

"NO! You fucking bastard! I'll kill you!" She screamed so loud that she was sure the entire Prydwen could hear. Her wrists were sore and no doubt cut from trying to rip free from the handcuffs that locked her to the bed. 

"Oh, Ella...don't you get it? You've lost. You are mine now. Why must you keep fighting it?" He seemed truly aggravated.

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open and a very frantic Kells ran in, not even bothering to ask permission.

"Kells, I have no time for-" Arthur began.

"Sir, we have a problem."

"I already-"

"The Institute, they're here!" He shouted. "And they're attacking Liberty Prime."

"Shit." He huffed. "Send out an announcement, have every available solider down at the airport now!" 

Kells ran out of the room while Arthur grabbed his battle-coat. Before leaving he made sure to take the key to Ella's cuffs.

"We'll continue this later." He slammed the door. 

*

Ella sobbed into the pillow beside her, her arm still stinging from the cut. 

A thousand images of her friends being murdered muddled her brain. She should have known Arthur wouldn't keep his promise...never before has she wanted to die more in that moment. With all hope gone, and none left on the horizon, she decided she would do something she hadn't done in years...pray.

"Dear God...please. Please let me die...I-I can't do this anymore. Please...just let me go. I'm ready." She sobbed through her pleas. "Give me a heart attack or an infection...I don't care how painful it is just please let me go...I can't live another moment longer." 

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'be careful what you wish for'?" A voice spoke.

Ella was startled at the sudden noise and looked up, rubbing her eyes before feeling her heart almost give out. 

"...Deacon?" She felt her breath leave her.

"Hey, Charmer...why the long face?" He walked towards her, smile lingering on his lips.

She shook her head. "No. No...you're dead. Maxson killed you...you aren't real."

"It's okay," he put his hands up slowly. "I'm real. See?" He poked himself. "Ghosts can't do that, can they?" 

He reached out to touch her and she recoiled with a sharp gasp. Her eyes shutting instinctively as she waited for the smack across the face that was sure to come. When nothing happened, her eyes slowly peeked back open. Deacon frowned and sat on the edge of the bed. "Jesus...what has he done to you, Charm?"

He pushed his sunglasses on top of his head, allowing himself to fully examine her. There was a fresh gash on her arm, her lip was busted but halfway healed, there were a number of either bruises or love bites on her neck, and her wrists were a deep purple from where the handcuffs sat. That wasn't even going into how she looked...skinny, scared, sickly...shattered.

It destroyed him. 

He carefully extended his hand again, gingerly making contact with Ella's cheek. His thumb wiped away a stray tear as she hesitantly leaned into his touch. Her heart skipped a beat at the realization that he wasn't a ghost...he was real. It wasn't just her imagination. 

"You came back?" She chuckled in disbelief. 

"Course I did. I can't very well leave my partner in crime behind, can I?" He smiled. "Plus, I left my favorite wig back in the interrogation room last time I was here. I was kinda hoping we could swing by and pick it up." 

Charmer laughed and leaned forward as much as she could to collapse into his arms. Deacon embraced her tight and let out a long awaited sigh of relief. "I fucking missed you, Charm." 

"I missed you more." Her voice was muffled against his clothing. "I waited so long...I was starting to think nobody would come for me."

"I'm sorry, I wish I could have gotten here sooner but I've been at the airport, waiting for the best time to get you. And now that the Institute decided to show up, it's the perfect distraction." 

"Wait, what do you mean? You've been at the airport? This whole time?" Ella pulled away. 

"You're looking at one of the Brotherhood's newest knights." He smiled.

"You joined the Brotherhood? Why?"

"Obviously for the kick-ass jumpsuits." He joked. "And not just me, Tom enlisted too. We joined right after you were taken. We were at the Cambridge police station for a few months, working our way up to now. It's been maybe three weeks at the airport...and I gotta say, I don't see the appeal of flying in one of those plane things, I can think of a million more terrifying ways to die."

"All this time you were so close and I didn't even know it." She sighed. "What about Dez? Is she okay?" 

"She's at the Castle, recruiting. We have about six agents now, all of them ready to rebuild."

"Are you sure I'm not dreaming? I'm going to be so pissed if I wake up right now." She shed happy tears. 

"It's all real, Charmie...now, let's get you the fuck out of here. I hope the Institute burns this place to the ground." He pulled out a jagged bone saw from a duffel bag beside him and sawed through the chain of the handcuffs, pulling Ella into a full hug once she was free.

"I never stopped hoping you would find a way to save me." She whispered. 

"What can I say? I've grown to like you and all your annoying little habits. The way you criticize how loud I chew? I never thought I would miss that." He went back into the duffel bag. "Here, I brought you a spare uniform. Put it on so we can sneak outta here. Tom is waiting in a vertibird to take us home."

She took the old uniform and grinned. "Seriously? Tom flying a vertibird?" 

"Don't worry, he read the manual. Twice, actually. I think that makes him practically a professional." 

 *

They walked outside of the room carefully, noticing all the chaos going on around them. Scribes were frantically running around, trying to save records and preserve the Prydwen's fuel. A few knights lingered, though most were down at the airport fighting. As they walked down the hall with their heads down Ella stopped and looked further down the corridor.

"Charmer, come on...we can't be seen." Deacon whispered.

"Wait...I can't leave here without Doctor Li. We have to take her."

"What? This rescue mission is already risky enough, we can't just-"

Before he could finish Ella was already halfway down the hall to the power armor station. Deacon sighed and followed her, watching as she ran up to the Institute scientist.

"Madison." Ella whispered loudly.

She looked up from the clipboard in her hands and gasped at seeing her standing there. "W-what are you doing out?" She asked. 

"I'm leaving. And so are you."

"Are you crazy? If Arthur catches you then-"

"Come on! We don't have time to argue."

Madison looked around the room, making sure nobody was watching as she set her things down and grabbed onto Ella's hand, running with her to the command deck. Deacon walked behind them as they rounded the corner to the staircase. 

Ella lead them but stopped moving forward when she bumped into something insanely hard. She grunted and shook her head to see Danse standing before her in his power armor. 

"Shit." 

"Ella?...What are-?" He looked at the uniform she wore, then behind her at Doctor Li and Deacon. 

"Fine." She sighed. "You caught me, alright? Just...please, let them go. They're innocent."

"Charmer, no!" Deacon protested.

"It's okay, D." She looked back to Danse and held out her wrists. "I won't fight you just please be easy with the cuffs-"

"Go." Danse stopped her.

"...What?" 

He leaned in closer and spoke just above a whisper. "Go. Now. Before someone sees us talking." 

"But...I...really?" She asked. 

"I meant what I said, Ella. You are far too special to be anyone's slave. Now _go_." 

She beamed and hugged his armor, pulling back to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, Danse." 

"Don't mention it...seriously...to anyone." 

She grinned and took Madison's hand again, walking past the paladin towards the command deck. As they stepped down the stairs slowly and cautiously they all froze in place when they heard Arthur's voice yelling orders.

"Oh God." Ella choked out. Her blood ran cold at the thought of being caught when they were so close. 

"Shh...it's okay. Follow my lead." Deacon whispered.

He walked out in front of them and pulled out a smoke grenade from his pocket, biting off the latch. He tossed it into the command deck, listening as it exploded into a cloud of thick smoke. 

"Ah! Who threw that?!" Kells shouted.

"Son of a bitch!" Arthur growled. "Secure the room!" 

Ella, Deacon, and Madison quickly took the chance to run outside, feeling the cold air of freedom hitting their faces.

Ella wanted to fall to her knees and thank God when she looked at the vertibirds and saw Tom waiting in an orange flight suit. She had been dreaming of this moment every day for however the fuck long she was trapped in there...she had forgotten how sweet and crisp the air was, it was almost euphoric to breathe in again. 

"What are you waiting for? Run!" Li pushed her forward.

Deacon pulled them both to the dock, helping Doctor Li up and getting on himself. As he reached his hand out for Ella to grab they all heard the door to the Prydwen slam open.

Arthur.

Deacon quickly pulled her up into the vertibird and wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from falling...also to rub it in Maxson's stupid fucking face. 

"Tom, we gotta go!" He shouted.

"One sec, one sec...just gotta find that little button..." He mumbled.

"Now!" Deacon urged him.

Suddenly, the vertibird lurched forward, coming off of the dock and shakily flying forward.

Arthur ran to the end of the bridge, trying to stop them before they were out of reach. "Ella!" He shouted. His eyes were dark and full of threats.

The vertibird finally turned, sending them in the direction of the Castle. Ella turned back to see Arthur staring at her as they flew to freedom. When they were almost out of sight she smiled and caught his eye, flipping him off while they disappeared into the sky.

"Holy shit! We did it!" Tom cheered.

"Thank God...I didn't know if we would make it out in time." Madison sighed.

Deacon hugged Ella and nuzzled his nose into her neck, taking in all of her at once. "I'm sorry it took so long to save you." He whispered.

"It's alright. You're here now." She smiled. 

*

"Sir, the airport has been defended. Liberty Prime suffered minor damage but nothing we can't fix. I'm happy to say that the Brotherhood won the fight today." Kells reported.

"We won the fight. Not the war..." Arthur sighed. "Thank you. You're dismissed."

As Kells walked out of the Command deck Arthur looked over the Commonwealth, chest still heavy with the loss of Ella. It was alright, though...just like with the Institute, the war was not over. 

"Elder?" Cade spoke as he walked in.

"Report."

"I've got the results back from your servants' check up...you were right. She's pregnant."

Arthur smiled contently as he looked over the Commonwealth. "Thank you, Cade. You're dismissed."

Yep...the war was far from over. In fact, it was just getting started. 


End file.
